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ihe  §attle  d  Jott  ^umtcv 


ANO 


First  Victory  of  the  Southern  Troops. 


APKIL    mh.  18(11. 


Full   accounts   of  the  Bombardment,  with  Sketches   of  the   Scenes, 

Incidents,  etc.     Compiled  chiefly  from  the  detailed 

Reports  of  the  Charleston  Press. 


PXTBIjISHEID       B"5^       HECaTlTEST. 


CHARLESTON,  S.  C: 

PKINTHi  BY  KVANS  *  COOSWKLI,,  Kos.   3  BKOAfl  AND  10.1  KAST  BAT  STS. 
■■'  1801 


I^ri<*e,    T^venty-F'ive*     Oeiits. 


THE 

WILLIAM  R.  PERKINS 

LIBRARY 

OF 


DUKE  UNIVERSITY 


CUT  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THE 

^  MtRCURY. 
r.WBORNCMAMN. 

CHA.     %.r 


\ 


THE 


BATTLE  OF  FORT  SUMTER 


AXD 


First  Victory  of  tlic  Southern  Troops, 


April    IStii,    1861 


FULL    ACCOUNTS    OF    THE    BOMBARDMENT,    WITH   SKETCHES    OF 
THE    SCENES,    INCIDENTS,    ETC. 


COMIMLF.D    CHIEFLY    FROM  TIIF,    DETAILED  REPORTS  OP    THE 
CnARLESTON  PRESS. 


rUIU.ISIIED    BY   I5EQUKST. 


CIIAELESTOX : 

ITEAM-roWER     PRESSES     OF     EVANS    i    COGSWELL. 
No.  3  Broad  and  10.3  East  Bay  Streets. 

ISfH. 


« 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2010  with  funding  from 
Duke  University  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/battleoffortsumt01char 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  SUMTER. 


FIEST  DAY'S  BOMBARDMENT. 

Friday,  April  12,  L'^Gl. 

The  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter,  so  lonjj^  uiul  anxiously 
exjiected,  bas  at  lengtb  become  a  fact  accomplisbed. 

At  about  two  o'clock,  on  tlie  afternoon  of  Tlnirsday,  General 
Beauregard,  tbrough  bis  Aides,  Col.  James  Cbesnut,  Jr.,  Coi. 
Cbisolm  and  Capt.  Lee,  made  a  demand  on  Major  Anderson 
for  tlie  immediate  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter.  Major  Anderson 
replied  tbat  sucb  a  course  would  be  inconsistent  witb  tbe  duty 
he  was  required  by  bis  Government  to  perform.  Tbe  answer 
was  communicated  by  tbe  General-in-Chief  to  President  Davis. 

This  visit,  and  the  refusal  of  tbe  commandant  of  Fort  Sum- 
ter to  accede  to  tbe  demand  made  by  General  Beauregard, 
passed  from  tongue  to  tongue,  and  soon  tbe  whole  city  Avas  in 
possession  of  tbe  startling  intelligence.  ■  Eumor,  as  she  is  wont 
to  do,  sbaped  tbe  facts  to  suit  her  purposes,  enlarged  their 
dimensions,  and  gave  them  a  complexion  which  they  had  not 
worn  Avlien  fresh  from  tbe  pnre  and  artless  bands  of  truth. 

A  half  an  hour  after  tbe  return  of  the  orderlies  it  was  conti- 
denth'  believed  tbat  the  batteries  would  open  fire  at  eight 
o'clock,  and  in  expectation  of  seeing  tbe  beginning  of  tbe  con- 
flict, hundreds  congregated  upon  the  Battery  and  the  Avbarves, 
looking  out  on  the  bay.  There  they  stood,  straining  their  eyes 
over  the  dark  exj>anse  of  Avater,  waiting  to  see  the  flash  and 
bear  the  boom  of  the  first  gun.  The  clock  told  the  hour  of 
eleven,  and  still  they  gazed  and  listened,  but  the  eyelids  grew 
Avear}'.  and  at  the  noon  of  tbe  night  the  larger  portion  of  tbe 
disa])pointed  spectators  were  plodding  their  way  homewaril. 
At  about  nine  o'clock,  General  Beauregard  received  a  reply 
from  President  Davis,  to  the  telegram  in  relation  to  the  surren- 
der of  Sumter,  bj-  which  be  was  instructed  to  inform  Major 
Anderson  tbat  if  he  would  evacuate  the  fort  be  held  when  his 
present  sujiply  of  provisions  was  exhausted,  there  would  be  no 
appeal  to  arms.     This  proposition  was  borne  to  Major  Andrr- 


son  liy  the  Aids  who  had  delivered  the  tinst  iiiessai^e,  and  he 
refused  to  aceept  the  condition.  The  General-in-tMiief  forth- 
with gave  the  order  that  the  batteries  be  opened  at  half-past 
four  o'clock  on  Friday'  morning.  -.Major  Anderson's  reply  was 
decisive  of  the  momentous  question,  and  General  Beauregard 
determined  to  apply  the  last  argument.  The  stout  soldier  had 
resolve<l  to  make  a  desperate  defence,  and  the  bloody  trial  of 
strength  must  be  essayed.  The  sword  must  cut  asunder  the 
last  tie  that  bound  us  to  a  people,  whom,  in  sj)ite  of  wrongs 
and  injustice  wantonly  inflicted  tlu-ough  a  long  series  of  j-ears, 
we  had  not  yet  utterly  hated  and  despised.  The  last  expiring 
spark  of  affection  must  l)e  quenched  in  blood.  Some  of  the 
most  splendid  pages  in  our  glorious  history  irmst  be  blurred.  A 
1  low  must  be  struck  that  would  make  the  ears  of  every  Re- 
])ublican  fanatic  tingle,  and  whose  di-eadful  effects  will  be  felt 
by  generations  3'et  to  come.  "We  must  transmit  a  heritage  of 
rankling  and  undying  hate  to  our  children. 

The  restless  activity  of  Thursday  night  was  gradually  worn 
down ;  the  citizens  who  had  thronged  the  battery  through  the 
night,  anxious  and  weary,  had  sought  their  homes,  the  Mounted 
Guard  which  had  kept  watch  and  ward  over  the  city,  with  the 
first  grey  streak  of  morning  were  preparing  to  retire,  when 
two  guns  in  quick  succession  from  Fort  Johnson  announced  the 
opening  of  the  drama.  Upon  that  signal,  at  twent^'-tive  min- 
utes past  four  o'clock,  a.  m.,  the  circle  of  batteries  with  which 
the  grim  fortress  of  Fort  Sumter  is  lieleaguered  ojxMied  fire. 
The  outline  of  this  great  volcanic  crater  was  illuminated  with 
a  line  of  twinkling  lights;  the  clustering  shells  illuminated  the 
sk}^  above  it;  the  balls  clattered  thick  as  hail  upon  its  sides; 
our  citizens,  aroused  to  a  forgetfulnoss  of  their  fatigue  through 
many  weary  hours,  rushed  again  to  the  points  of  observation  ; 
and  so,  at  the  break  of  day,  amidst  the  bursting  of  bombs,  and 
the  roaring  of  ordnance,  and  before  thousands  of  spectators, 
whose  homes,  and  liberties,  and  lives  were  at  stake,  was  enacted 
this  first  great  scene  in  the  opening  drama  of  this  most  mo- 
mentous military  history. 

As  the  roar  of  cannon  burst  upon  the  startled  city,  the 
expected  sound  was  answered  by  thousands.  The  houses  were 
in  a  few  minutes  emptied  of  their  excited  occupants,  and  the 
living  stream  poured  through  all  the  streets  leading  to  the 
wharves  and  Battery.  On  reaching  our  beautiful  promenade, 
we  found  it  lined  with  ranks  of  eager  spectators,  and  all  the 
wharves  commanding  a  view  of  the  battle  were  crowded  thickly 
with  human  forms.  On  no  gala  occasion  have  we  ever  seen 
nearly  so  large  a  number  of  ladies  on  our  Battery  as  graced  the 
breezy  walk  on  this  eventful  morning.  There  the}'  stood  with 
palpitating  hearts  and  palid  faces,  watching  the  white  smoke 
as  it  rose  in  wreaths  upon  the  soft  twilight  air,  and  breathing 
out  fervent  prayers  for  their  gallant  kinsfolk  at  the  guns. 

Steadily  alternating,  our  batteries  spit  Ibrth  their  wrath  at 


the  grim  fortress  rising  so  dcfiantl}'  out  of  the  sea.  Major 
Anderson  received  the  shot  and  shell  in  silence.  And  some 
excited  lookers  on,  ignorant  of  the  character  of  the  foe,  were 
fluent  with  conjectures  and  predictions,  that  revived  the  hope 
fast  dying  out  of  their  hopeful  and  tender  hearts.  But  the 
short-lived  hope  was  utterly  extinguished  when  the  deepening 
twilight  revealed  the  Stars  and  Strii)Qs  floating  defianth'  in  the 
breeze.  The  batteries  continued  at  regular  intervals  to  belch 
iron  vengeance,  and  still  no  answer  was  returned  by  the  foe. 
About  an  hour  after  the  booming  began,  two  balls  rushed  hiss- 
ing through  the  air,  and  glanced  harmless  from  the  stuccoed 
bricks  of  Fort  Moultrie.  The  embrasures  of  the  hostile  fort- 
ress gave  forth  no  sound  again  till  between  six  and  seven 
o'clock,  Avhen,  as  if  wrathful  from  enforced  delay,  from  case- 
mate and  parapet  the  United  States  oflrtcer  poured  a  storm  of 
iron  hail  upon  Fort  Moultrie,  Steven's  Iron  Battery  and  the 
Floating  Batter}'.  The  broadside  was  returned  with  spirit  by 
the  gallant  gunners  at  these  important  ])OSts.  The  firing  now 
began  in  good  earnest.  The  curling  white  smoke  hung  above 
the  angry  pieces  of  friend  and  foe,  and  the  jarring  boom  rolled 
at  regular  intervals  on  the  anxious  ear.  The  atmos})here  was 
charged  with  the  smell  of-villainous  saltpetre,  and  as  if  in 
sj-mpathy  with  the  melancholy  scene,  the  sky  was  covered 
with  heavy  clouds,  and  everything  Avore  a  sombre  asjiect. 

Al)Out  halfpast  nine  o'clock,  Capt.  E.  S.  Parker  reported 
from  Sullivan's  Island  to  Mount  Pleasant  that  everything  was 
in  fine  condition  at  Fort  Moultrie,  and  that  the  soldiei's  had 
escaped  unhurt.  The  same  dispatcli  stated  that  the  embra- 
sures of  the  Floating  Battery  were  undamaged  by  the  shock  of 
the  shot,  and  though  that  formidable  structure  had  been  struck 
eleven  times,  the  balls  had  not  started  a  single  bolt.  Anderson, 
after  finding  his  fire  against  the  Iron  Batterj'  inefl'ectual,  had 
concentrated  his  fire  upon  the  Floating  Battery,  and  the  Bahl- 
gren  Battery,  both  under  command  of  Capt.  Hamilton.  A 
number  of  shells  had  dropped  into  Fort  Sumter,  and  one  gun 
en  barbette  had  been  dismounted. 

The  following  cheering  tidings  were  next  brought  to  the  city: 
Stevens'  Battery  and  the  Floating  Battery  are  doing  import- 
ant service.  Stevens'  Batter}'  has  made  consideral)le  jirogress 
in  battering  the  south  and  south-west  walls  of  Fort  Sumter. 
The  north-west  wall  is  sutfering  from  the  well-aimed  fire  of  the 
P^loating  Battery,  whose  shot  have  dismounted  several  of  the 
guns  on  the  parapet,  and  made  it  impossible  to  use  the  i-emain- 
ing  ones.  The  Mortar  Battery  connected  with  the  impreg- 
nable (run  Battery  at  Cummings'  Point,  is  managed  with 
consummate  skill  and  terrible  ettect.  Tiie  F^nfilade  or  Four- 
gun  Battery,  at  Sullivan's  Island,  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Valen- 
tine and  Ijieut.  B.  S.  Burnet,  did  eff'ective  service,  while  the 
oflScers,  exposed  to  a  dangerous  fire  from  Fort  Sumter,  exhib- 
ited the  utmost  coolness  and  courage.     Their  aim  was  directed 


6 

u^inst  the  barbette  ffuns  to  the  nortli,  ami  aijcainst  the  officers' 
quarters  on  the  <»j>j)(>site  side  of  the  Ibrt ;  the  liuiis  whieh  they 
wiTc  exf)ecte<l  to  eiitihule  heiiiir  imtiected  by  a  traverse  liastil}- 
erected  l>y  Major  Amh'rsoii  two  nights  before  the  cannonade 
i-onin»enced.  How  well  tiieir  tire  was  pointed  is  told  by  the 
riddh'd  condition  of  the  barracks,  upon  which  this  batter}-, 
witl>  Fort  Moultrie  ami  the  Floating  Battery,  i>lnyed.  Capt. 
JIallonqnist  commanded  both  this  battery  and  the  mortar  bat- 
tery between  Fort  Moultrie  and  the  Cove,  where  Lieut.  Flem- 
ming  was  stationed,  and  showed  hiniself  a  thorough  sohiier  by 
his  braver}-.  The  mortar  l)attery  was  decidedly  one  of  the 
best  managed  and  most  efficient  in  service,  contributing  mate- 
rially to  the  reduction  of  Sumter. 

Elrcrn  o  clock. — A  messenger  from  ^lonis'  Island  brings  the 
news  that  the  shot  glance  from  the  iron  covered  batteiy  at 
C'umming's  Point,  like  mai-l)les  thrown  by  a  child  on  the  l»ack 
ol'  a  turtle.  The  upjjer  portion  of  the  south-west  wall  of  Fort 
Sumter  shows  ])lainly  the  etleot  of  the  terrible  cannonade  from 
llie  formidable  invention  of  Mr.  V.  H.  Stevens'  patriotism  and 
ingenuity. 

A  boat  reached  the  city  from  the  Floating  ]^attery  about 
half-past  twelve  o'clock,  and  re))orted  that  a  shot  from  Fort 
Sumter  jienetrated  the  top  or  shed  of  the  structure,  and  three 
shots  struck  the  sand  bags  in  the  rear  of  the  Battery. 

Twelve  o'clock. — "We  have  just  learned  by  an  arrival  from 
Cummings'  Point,  that  the  batteries  there  continue  doing  good 
service — Stevens'  Battery  ver}-  successful.  Not  a  single  casu- 
alty has  happened.  The  troops  are  in  the  best  spirits.  Two  of 
the  guns  at  Fort  Sumter  a])pear  to  Ije  tlisabled.  Considerable 
damage  has  been  done  to  the  roofs  of  the  officer's  quarters. 

One  o'clock. — The  following  was  received  from  ]\I orris'  Island. 
One  gun  in  Stevens'  Battery  temporarily  disabled,  Anderson's 
fire  having  injured  the  door  of  the  embrasure.  The  damage 
will  be  repaired  speedily.  Three  steam  vessels  of  war  were 
seen  oif  the  bar,  one  of  them  supjioscd  to  be  the  Harriet  Lane. 

The  veneralile  Jvliiiuml  IJulfin,  who,  so  soon  as  it  was  known 
a  battle  was  inevitable,  hastened  over  to  Morris'  Island  and 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Palmetto  Guard,  fired  the  first 
gun  from  Stevens'  Iron  Battery.  Another  son  of  the  Old 
I)ominion  was  appointed  on  General  Beauregard's  Staff  on 
Thursday,  bore  dispatches  to  the  General  in  command,  from 
Brigntlier-GeneralJames  Simons,  in  command  of  .^[orris'  Island, 
during  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  in  the  lace  of  a  munlerous 
fire  from  Fort  Sumter.  Col.  I^\ger  A.  Pryor,  in  the  execution 
of  that  dangerous  commission,  passeil  within  speaking  distance 
of  the  hostile  fortress. 

Fort  Moultrie  has  fully  sustained  the  prestige  of  its  glorious 
name.  Here,  Col.  Ripley,  wh<j  was  commandant  of  all  the 
jM'lillery  of  Sullivan's  Island  and  Mount  Pleasant,  made  hin 
headipiarters.      The   battery   bearing  on  Sumter  consisted  of 


nine  guns,  in  command  of  Lieut.  Alfred  Rhett,  Avith  a  detacli- 
ment  of  seventy  men,  Company  B.  It  lired  very  nearly  gun 
for  gun  with  Fort  Sumter.  We  counted  tl\e  guns  from  eleven 
to  twelve  o'clock,  and  found  them  to  be  fortj'-two  to  forty-six, 
while  the  advantage  was  unquestionably  upon  the  side  of  Fort 
Moultrie.  In  that  fort  not  a  gun  was  dismounted,  not  a 
wound  received,  not  the  slightest  permanent  injury  sustained 
by  any  of  its  defences,  while  every  ball  from  Fort  Moultrie  left 
its  mark  upon  Fort  Sumter.  Those  aimed  at  the  barbette 
guns  swept  with  a  deadly  fire  the  parapet  of  the  battery  bear- 
ing on  Cumming's  Point,  and  also  that  against  Sullivan's  Island, 
clearing  the  ramparts  of  men,  striking  the  guns,  or  falling 
^\-ith  terrible  etfect  upon  the  walls  and  roofing  of  the  quarters 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  fortress.  Many  of  its  shells  were 
dropped  into  that  fort,  and  Lieut.  John  Mitchell,  the  worthy 
son  of  that  patriot  sire,  who  has  so  nobly  vindicated  the  cause 
of  the  South,  has  the  honor  of  dismounting  two  of  its  parapet 
guns  by  a  single  shot  from  one  of  the  Columbiads,  which  at 
the  time  he  had  the  office  of  directing.  During  the  morning. 
Major  Anderson  had  paid  his  respects  to  all,  and  had  tested 
the  Fhxvting  Battery  and  the  Iron  Batter}',  and  made  nothing 
for  the  trouble.  The  last  two  or  tlu'ce  hours  before  dark,  he 
devoted  himself  exclusively  to  Fort  Moultrie,  and  the  two  fort- 
resses had  a  grand  duello.  Game  to  the  last,  though  much 
more  exposed.  Fort  Moultrie  held  her  own,  and,  il  is  believed, 
a  little  more  than  her  own.  Towaixls  night,  several  i"Ounds  of 
red-hot  shot  were  thi'own  into  the  barracks  of  the  enemy. 
This  battery  has  received  universal  applause  and  admii-ation. 

A  brisk  fire  was  kept  up  by  all  the  batteries  until  about  seven 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  after  which  hour  the  guns  boomed, 
throughout  the  night  of  Friday,  at  regular  intervals  of  twenty 
minutes.  The  schooner  Petrel,  J.  L.  Jones,  commanding,  while 
lying  otf  the  mouth  of  Hog  Island  Channel,  was  fired  into  from 
Fort  Sumter,  about  half-past  eight  o'clock.  One  shot  took  etfect 
in  the  bow  oi'the  schooner,  and  several  passed  over  her. 

It  were  vain  to  .attempt  an  exhibition  of  the  enthusiasm  and 
fearless  intrepidity  of  our  citizens  in  every  department  of  this 
eventful  day.  Jioats  passed  from  post  to  post  Avithout  the 
slightest  hesitation,  under  the  guns  of  Fort  Sumter,  and  with 
high  and  low,  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  in  uniform  or  with- 
out, the  common  wish  and  constant  effort  was  to  reach  the  posts 
of  action  ;  and  amid  a  bombardment  resisted  with  the  most  con- 
summate skill  and  perseverance,  and  with  the  most  efficient 
apjiliances  of  militar}-  art  and  science,  it  is  a  most  remarkable 
circumstance,  and  one  Avhich  exhibits  the  infinite  goodness  of 
an  overruling  Providence,  that,  so  far  as  we  have  been  able  to 
learn  from  the  most  careful  inquiry,  not  the  slightest  injury  has 
been  sustained  by  the  defenders  of  their  country. 

It  may  be  added,  as  an  incident  that  contributed  no  little 
interest  to  the  action  of  the  day,  that  from  early  in  the  fore- 


8 

noon  three  vessels  of  war,  two  of  them  supposed  to  be  the  Har- 
riet Lane  and  Pawnee,  lay  just  beyond  the  bar,  inactive  speeta- 
tors  of  the  contest. 


CLOSE  OF  THE  BOMBARDMENT. 

Second  Day,  Saturday,  April  13,  ISGl. 

We  closed  the  account  of  the  <;i'and  military  diorama  in  ]iro- 
grcss  on  our  Bay  amidst  the  clouds  and  gloom  and  threatening 
perils  of  Friday  night.  The  firing,  abated  in  the  early  evening, 
as  though  fur  the  concentration  of  its  special  energies,  com- 
menced again  at  ten  o'clock,  and  amid  gusts  of  rain,  and  clouds 
that  swept  the  heavens,  the  red  hot  shot  and  lighted  shells, 
again  streamed  from  the  girt  of  batteries  around,  and  concen- 
trated in  fearful  import  over  Fort  Sumter.  Of  the  etfects  little 
Avas  visilde,  of  course,  and  anxious  citizens,  who  from  battery, 
spire  and  housetoj),  had  bided  the  peltings  of  the  storm,  mute 
spectators  of  the  splendid  scene,  could  only  wait  the  ()])ening  of 
tlie  coming  da}-  foi  confirmation  of  the  l>0])es  and  fears  with 
which  the  changes  in  the  scene  successively  insj)ired  them.  As 
dawn  ai)proaclied,  the  firing  again  abated,  and  wlien  the  rising 
sun  threw  its  flood  of  light  over  the  sparkling  waters  fi-om  a 
cloudless  sky,  it  was  but  hy  random  shots  from  outlying  bat- 
teries, with  scarce  an  answer  from  Fort  Sumter,  that  spectators 
were  assured  the  contest  still  continued,  and  that  human  feel- 
ing was  not  in  harmony  with  the  grace  and  glory  of  the  scene. 
It  was  but  a  little  Avhile,  however,  before  the  enei-g}'  of  action 
was  restored,  and  as  the  work  of  destruction  still  went  on,  it 
was  feared  that  still  another  day  of  expectation  and  uncertainty 
/  was  before  us.  A  light  issue  of  thin  smoke  was  early  seen  at 
/  Sumter.  At  seven  o'clock,  a  vigorous  and  steady  fire  was 
opened  from  Fort  Moulti'ie,  and  a  heav}'  cannonade  ensued. 
But  at  eight  o'clock  the  cry  arose  from  the  wharves,  and  rolled 
in  one  continuous  wave  over  the  cit}',  "  Four  Sumter  is  on 
Fire  !"  The  watchers  of  the  night  before,  who  had  retired 
for  a  few  moments,  were  aroused,  occupations  were  instantly 
suspended,  and  old  and  young,  either  mounted  to  their  points 
of  observation,  or  rolled  in  crowds  upon  the  Battery,  to  look 
upon  the  last  and  most  imposing  act  in  this  great  drama. 
The  barracks  to  the  south  had  been  three  times  set  on  fire 
during  the  bombardment  of  the  day  before,  but  each  time  the 
flames  Avcre  immediately  extinguished.  Subsequently,  how- 
ever, a  red-hot  shot  from  Fort  Moultrie,  or  a  shell  from  else- 
Avhere,  found  a  lodgment,  Avhen  the  fact  was  not  apparent,  and 
the  fire,  smouldering  for  a  time,  at  length  broke  forth,  and 
flames  and  smoke  rose  in  volumes  from  the  crater  of  Fort 
Sumter.  The  wind  was  blowing  from  the  west,  driving  the 
smoke  across  the   fort   and   into   the  embrasures,  where  the 


9 

gunners  ^vere  at  "work,  and  pouring  its  volumes  through  tlie 
port-holes  ;  the  firing  of  Fort  Sumter  appeared  to  be  renewed 
•with  vigor.  The  fire  of  the  Fort,  long,  fierce  and  rapid,  how- 
ever, was  gradually  abated,  and  although  at  distant  intervals  a 
gun  was  fired,  the  necessity  of  preserving  their  magazines  and 
of  avoiding  the  flames,  left  the  tenants  little  leisure  for  resist- 
ance. ]>ut  the  fii'ing  from  without  was  continued  with  re- 
doubled vigor.  Every  batteiy  poured  in  its  ceaseless  round  of 
shot  and  shell.  The  enthusiasm  of  success  inspired  tlieir  cour- 
age and  gave  precision  to  their  action  ;  and  thus,  as  in  the 
opening,  so  in  tlic  closing  scene,  under  the  beaming  sunlight,  in 
view  of  thousands  croAvded  upon  the  wharves  and  house-tops, 
and  amid  the  booming  of  ordnance,  and  in  view  of  the  five 
immense  ships  sent  by  the  enemy  with  reinforcements,  h'ing 
idly  just  out  of  gun  shot  on  the  Bar,  this  first  fortress  of  des- 
potic power  fell  jii-ostrate  to  the  cause  of  Southern  Indepen- 
dence. 

About  eight  o'clock.  Fort  Moultrie  had  commenced  to  pour 
in  hot  shot,  to  ])revent  the  extinguisliment  of  the  spreading 
flames,  and  to  kindle  new  fires  in  all  the  quarters.  The  fight 
between  the  two  forts  was  terrific.  At  this  time,  Sumter  fired 
fifty-lour  shots  at  Moultrie  in  one  hour,  tearing  the  barracks  to 
pieces.  But  the  Avork  was  vain.  Moultrie  was  too  much  for 
Sumter.  In  five  minutes,  she  returned  eleven  shots.  At 
about  nine  o'clock  the  flames  aj)peared  to  be  abating,  and 
it  was  apprehended  that  no  irreparalde  injury  had  been  sus- 
tained; but  near  ten  o'clock,  a  column  of  white  smoke  rose 
high  above  the  battlements,  followed  b}'  an  explosion  which 
was  felt  upon  the  wharves,  and  gave  the  assurance  tliat  if  the 
magazines  were  not  exploded,  at  least  their  temjjorary  ammu- 
nition were  exposed  to  the  element  still  raging.  Soon  after 
the  barracks  to  the  east  and  west  were  in  flames,  the  smoke 
rose  in  redoubled  volume  from  the  whole  circle  of  the  fort,  and 
rolling  from  tlie  embrasures,  it  seemed  scarcely  possible  that 
life  could  be  sustained.  Soon  after  another  column  of  smoke 
arose  as  fearful  as  the  first.  The  guns  had  been  completely 
silenced,  and  the  onl^'  o])tion  left  to  tlie  tenants  of  the  fort- 
ress seemed  to  be  whether  they  would  perish  or  surrender. 
At  a  quarter  to  one  o'clock,  the  staff,  from  which  the  flag  still 
waved,  was  siiot  awa^-,  and  it  was  long  in  doubt  whether,  if 
there  were  the  purpose,  there  was  the  ability  to  re-erect  it. 
But  at  the  expiration  of  about  twent}'  minutes,  it  again  ap- 
peared upon  the  eastern  rampart,  and  announced  that  resist- 
ance was  not  ended.  In  the  meantime,  ho\vever,  a  small  boat 
started  from  the  city  wharf,  bearing  Colonels  Lee,  Pryor  and 
Miles,  Aides  to  Gen.  Beauregard,  with  offers  of  assistance,  if, 
perchance,  the  garrison  should  be  unable  to  escape  the  flames. 
As  the}'  approached  the  fort,  the  United  States'  flag  re-ap- 
peared ;  and  shortly  afterwards  a  shout  from  the  Avhole  circle 
of  spectators  on    the    islands  and  the   main,  announced   that 


10 

the  wliite  fla:;  of  truce  was  wavini^  from  tlio  ramparts.  A 
small  boat  had  alreaily  been  seen  to  slioot  out  from  Cumminij.s' 
Point,  in  the  direction  of  the  fort,  in  which  stood  an  ottieer 
with  a  white  flag  upon  the  ])oint  of  his  sword.  This  officer 
proved  to  be  Col.  Wigfall,  Aid  to  the  Commanding  General, 
who,  entering  through  a  port-hole,  demanded  the  surrender. 
Major  Anderson  replied,  that  "they  were  still  firing  on  him." 
"Then  take  your  flag  down,"  said  Col.  Wigfall:  "they  will  con- 
tinue to  Are  upon  you  so  long  as  that  is  up." 

After  some  further  explanations  in  the  course  of  which  it 
appeared,  that  Major  Anderson's  men  were  fast  suffocating  in 
the  casemates,  the  brave  commander  of  Sumter  agreed  that  he 
would,  unconditionally,  surrender — subject  to  the  terms  of 
Gen.  Beauregard,  who,  as  was  said  by  Col.  AVigfall,  "is  a  sol- 
dier and  a  gentleman,  and  knows  how  to  treat  a  brave  enemy." 
When  this  parley  had  been  terminated,  another  boat  from  the 
city  containing  Major  Jones,  Cols.  Chesnut  and  Manning,  with 
other  officers  antl  the  Chief  of  the  Fire  Department  and  the 
Palmetto  Fire  Company  came  up  to  the  Fort:  All  flring  had 
meantime  ceased.  The  agreement  to  unconditional  surrender 
was  reiterated  in  the  presence  of  new  arrivals,  and  Messrs. 
Chesnut  and  Manning  immediately  came  back  to  the  city  to 
bring  the  news,  when  it  was  also  positivelj'  stated  afterwards, 
that  no  one  was  killed  on  either  side.  It  may  seem  strange, 
but  it  is  nevertheless  true.  The  only  way  to  account  for  the 
fact  is  in  the  excellent  protection  offered  by  the  unparalleled 
good  works  behind  which  the  engagement  was  fought.  The 
long  range  of  shooting  must  also  be  taken  into  account.  In 
addition  to  this,  on  each  side,  the  men,  seeing  a  discharge  in 
their  direction,  learned  to  dodge  the  balls  and  to  throw  them- 
selves under  cover.  A  horse  on  Sullivan's  Island  was  the  only 
living  creature  deprived  of  life  during  the  bombardment. 

General  Beauregard  decided  uj)on  the  following  terms  of 
Anderson's  capitulation : 

That  is — First  affording  all  proper  facilities  for  removing 
him  and  his  command,  together  with  company  arms  and  prop- 
erty and  all  private  property. 

Secondly — That  the  Federal  flag  he  had  so  long  and  so 
bravely  defended  shoubl  be  saluted  by  the  van(|iiished  on 
taking  it  down. 

Thirdly — That  Anderson  should  be  allowed  to  fix  the  time 
of  surrender;  to  take  place,  however,  son\o  time  during  the 
ensuing  day  (Sunday.) 

These  terms  were  the  same  as  those  offered  before  the  con- 
test. In  pursuance  of  this  programme,  Major  Anderson  indi- 
cated Sunday  morning  as  the  time  for  his  formal  surrender. 


11 


THE  SURRENDER  OF  FORT  SU.AITER. 

Sunday,  April  14,  18G1. 

On  Sunday  morning,  April  14,  ISGl,  at  half-past  12  o'clock, 
his  Excellency  Governor  Pickens,  with  his  Aides,  and  ]\[essrs. 
Jamison,  JIarllec  and  ]\Iagrath,  of  his  Executive  Council,  and 
Gen.  Beauregard,  with  his  Aides,  Messrs.  JMiles,  Pr^-or,  jManning, 
Chesnut  and  Jones,  and  many  distinguished  gentlemen,  invited 
to  1)e  jiresent,  took  their  departure  in  a  steamer  from  Southern 
Wharf,  and  were  horno  in  the  direction  of  the  Fort.  As  we 
advanced,  it  was  a])parent,  however,  that  the  evacuation  was 
not  completed.  Though  the  steamer  Isabel,  at  the  re(piest  of 
Major  Anderson,  had  been  ])resent  from  nine  o'clock,  and  the 
expectation  had  been  occasioned  that  ver^^  soon  thereafter  his 
command  would  be  tinder  way,  still  causes  of  delay  had  inter- 
vened. To  avoid  the  embarrassments  of  a  premature  arrival, 
the  party  was  landed  upon  Sullivan's  Island.  Availing  them- 
selves of  the  opportunities  thus  atlbrded,  they  visited  the 
floating  battery,  the  Dahlgrcn  batterj",  the  enlihuling  batter^', 
and  were  asceiuling  the  mortar  battery,  when  the  booming  of 
the  guns  upon  the  parapets  of  Fort  Sumter,  announced  the 
lowering  of  the  "  stars  and  stripes."  In  the  terms  of  capitu- 
lation, it  was  allowed  to  Major  Anderson  to  salute  his  flag,  and 
it  was  ])erhaps  expected  that  he  would  fire  the  usual  compli- 
ment of  twenty-one  guns;  but,  reaching  that  number,  he  still 
went  on  to  fire,  and  the  a]iprehcnsion  was,  that  he  might 
exhibit  the  discourtesy  of  numbering  thirty-four.  Eut  he  con- 
tinued still  to  fire,  up  to  fifty,  and  then  slowly  lowering  his 
flag,  the  shouts  from  assembled  thousands,  upon  the  shores  and 
tlie  steamers,  and  ever}'  species  of  water  craft,  announced 
that  the  authority  of  the  late  United  States  upon  the  last  foot 
of  Carolina's  soil  was  finally  withdrawn.  It  had  been  noticed 
that,  at  the  firing  of  the  seventeenth  gun,  there  \vas  the  sound 
as  of  two  reports,  and  the  impression  was,  that  two  guns  had 
been  fired  together;  but,  as  the  party,  re-embai'king,  were  on 
their  way  to  Fort  Sumter,  they  were  met  by  a  boat,  Avhich 
announced  that  one  of  the  caissons  had  exploded,  and  made  the 
earnest  request  that  the  boat  would  return  to  Sullivan's  Island 
for  a  fire  engine,  from  the  apprehension  that  the  magazine 
might  be  in  danger.  This  obtained,  the  party  again  started 
for  the  fort,  and  made  their  entrance. 

It  were  vain  to  attempt  a  detailed  description  of  the  scene. 
Every  point  and  every  ol)ject  in  the  interior  of  the  fort,  to 
whicli  the  ej^e  was  tui'ned,  except  the  outer  walls  and  case- 
mates, which  are  still  strong,  bore  the  impress  of  ruin.  It 
were  as  if  the  Genius  of  l)estruction  had  tasked  its  energies 
to  make  the  thing  complete,  brooded  over  by  the  desolation  of 
ages.  It  could  scarce  have  been  developed  to  a  more  full  ma- 
turity of  ruin.     Tlie  walls  of  the  internal  structure,  roofless, 


12 

hiiro,  blackened,  aiul  perforated  by  sbot  and  shell,  hung  in  frag- 
ments, and  seemed  in  instant  readiness  to  totter  down.  Xear 
the  centre  of  the  parade  ground  was  the  hurried  grave  of  one 
who  had  fallen  from  the  recent  casualt}'.  To  the  left  of  the 
entrance  was  a  man  who  seemed  to  l)e  at  the  verge  of  death. 
In  the  ruins,  to  the  right,  there  was  another.  The  shattered 
flag-statf,  pierced  l>y  four  balls,  lay  sjirawling  on  the  ground. 
The  parade-ground  was  strewn  with  iragments  of  shell  and  of 
the  dilapidated  buildings.  At  least  four  guns  were  dismounted 
on  the  ramparts,  and  at  every  step  the  way  was  impeded  by 
portions  of  the  broken  structure.  And  so  it  was  that  the 
authorities,  compelled  to  yield  the  fortress,  had  at  least  the 
satisfaction  of  leaving  it  in  a  condition  calculated  to  inspire 
the  least  possible  jileasure  to  its  captors. 

Of  all  this,  however,  the  feeling  was  lost  when,  ascending  to 
the  parapet,  the  brilliant  panorama  of  the  ba}'  appeared.  And 
Avhen,  fi'om  this  key  to  the  harbor,  the  view  expanded  to  the 
"waving  outline  of  main  and  island,  and  M'hen,  u])on  this  key, 
the  tlag  of  the  Confederacy,  together  with  the  Palmetto  flag, 
Avere  both  expanded  to  the  breeze  ;  and  when  the  deafening 
shouts  arose  from  the  masses  clustered  upon  botits  and  upon 
the  siiores,  and  when  the  batteries  around  the  entire  circuit 
shook  the  fortress  with  the  thunders  of  their  salutation,  the 
feeling  that  the  victor}'  was  indeed  complete;  that  the  triumph 
was  a  fact  accomplished;  that  liberty  had  indeed  been  vin- 
dicated, and  that  the  State  had  established  her  claim  to  the 
skill  and  courage  necessary  to  the  cause  she  had  the  intellec- 
tual intrepidity  to  avow,  thrilled  in  the  breast  of  every  one  of 
Carolina's  sons,  as  seldom  has  such  feeling  thrilled  in  the 
breasts  of  any  men  before.  Shortly  after  the  arrival,  the  gar- 
rison marched  out,  and  were  received  on  boai'd  the  Isabel; 
which,  however,  from  the  condition  of  the  tide,  was  unable  to 
inove  off,  and  it  was  a  somewhat  unpleasant  circumstance  that 
Major  Anderson  and  his  command  should  have  been  made 
unwilling  spectators  of  the  exultations  insi)ired  In*  their  defeat. 

Of  those  suffering  from  the  casualty  we  have  mentioned,  one 
was  killed  upon  the  spot;  two  were  wounded,  it  is  supposed 
mortally,  and  were  left  for  medical  treatment;  and  two  othei-s 
badly  wounded,  also,  at  their  earnest  solicitation,  were  carried 
off. 

The  occasion  was  not  without  the  charm  and  interest  afford- 
ed by  the  presence  of  the  fair.  The  lady  of  his  Excellency 
Clovernor  Pickens,  and  the  wife  and  daughter  of  Attorney- 
rjeneral  llayiie,  witnessed  the  ceremony  from  the  boat,  and 
Mrs.  Henry  Jionnetheau  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first 
in  the  fort^under  the  flag  of  the  Confedei-acy.  She  was  down 
to  attend  the  sister  of  Lieut.  Davis,  her  guest  during  the  period 
of  her  brother's  confinement  to  the  fort,  and  with  the  eye  and 
genius  of  an  artist,  it  Avas,  doubtless,  with  a  feeling  of  especial 
pleasure  that  she  Avas  favored  with  the  opportunities  of  this 
occasion. 


13 

Col.  Riple}'  was  put  in  command.  The  departments  of  the 
service,  necessar}-  to  bring  the  fort  to  order,  were  distributed. 
The  men  were  preparing  such  rude  appliances  for  comfort  as 
the  dreary  place  admitted  of;  and  as,  at  twilight,  we  steamed 
off  for  the  city,  of  those  standing  upon  the  ledge  around  the 
base  of  the  fort,  the  last  to  be  seen  was  the  venerable  Kdmund 
]iuffin,  of  Virginia,  Avho,  with  canteen  and  blanket  strajtped 
upon  his  shoulder,  seemed  to  be  submitting  with  exemplary 
complacency  to  the  experience  of  a  volunteer. 


THE  FIGHT  AS  SEEX   FROM  CUMMINGS'  POINT. 

[from  a  SPEOIAL  CORRESrO.vnENT  ON"  MORRIS  ISLAND.] 

On  Thursday  morning,  when  I  came  to  Morris  Island,  it  was 
evident  that  the  term  of  prejiaration  antl  practice  was  soon  to 
close.  The  men  all  expected  the  order  to  open  fire  that  night. 
And,  indeed,  there  were  reasons  enough  to  justify  the  belief 
that  it  would  be  given.  It  Avas  generally  known  that  a  fruit- 
less demand  for  the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter  had  been  made 
that  afternoon.  And,  from  what  was  known  of  Gen.  Beaure- 
gard, nobody  imagined  that  he  would  delay  action  man}-  hours 
after  such  a  refusal.  Besides,  the  unusual  ]>roceedings  at  the 
batteries  bearing  on  Fort  Sumter  showed  plainl}-  that  we  were 
u])on  the  eve  of  battle.  The  sand-bags,  which  screened  from 
Anderson's  view  the  42-pounders  at  the  Point  Batter}^,  were 
hastily  removed  as  soon  as  it  was  dark;  the  Avorks  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Point  were  all  lit  up  with  lanterns;  the 
guns  were  loaded,  shotted  and  sighted,  and  the  men  Avere  kept 
at  their  posts  long  after  their  usual  time  for  retiring.  Thus 
matters  stood  until  a  few  minutes  after  eight  o'clock,  when,  to 
the  great  chagrin  of  the  impatient  3-oung  gunners,  their  officers 
gave  the  order  to  return  to  their  quarters.  The  companies  ac- 
cordingly^ filed  off,  as  usual,  to  their  camps,  the  tattoo  resounded 
over  the  dark  sand  hills,  the  tents  were  soon  tenanted,  and  the 
men  furgot  their  disappointment  in  sleep. 

THE    BOMBARDMENT    OPENED. 

A  light  rain  commenced  falling  soon  after  midnight  and  con- 
tinued, with  intermissions,  for  several  hours.  At  half-]iast  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  Fridays  the  moi-e  wakeful  of  our  men 
were  aroused  by  the  distant  boom  of  a  shell.  We  afterwards 
learned  from  the  sentinels  that  it  came  from  the  Fort  Johnson 
mortar  battery.  In  a  moment  the  camps  were  all  astir.  The 
long  roll  summoned  a  few  drowsy  ones  to  the  ranks,  and  the 
eager  squads,  convinced  that  the  time  for  action  had  at  last 
arrived,  trotted  off  at  a  quick  pace  towards  their  respective 


14 

posts.  Everything  being  in  readiness,  the  three  batteries  of 
Morris  Ishind,  bearing  upon  Fort  Sumter,  opened  immediately. 
It  was  not  3'et  daybreak,  and  the  scene,  which  at  that  moment 
was  novel,  was  pictnivs(|ue  as  well.  The  course  of  the  shells 
on  their  fiery  way  could  l)e  easily  traced  until  they  exploded  in 
a  white  cloud  of  smoke,  followed  by  a  dull  detonation,  over  the 
parapets  of  Fort  Sumter.  The  etfect  of  the  solid  shot  was  also 
percejitilile  M-ith  l!ie  naked  eye.  At  each  dischai'ge  of  tiieguns, 
either  the  water  adjacent  to  the  foi't  would  be  dashed  uj)  in  great 
sheets  of  spra)*,  or  the  dense  brown  ch>ud  of  crumliliiig  brick 
and  mortar  would  mark  the  spot  upon  the  ramparts  liit  by  the 
balls,  !^^ea^while  we  could  see  that  the  liatteries  at  other  points 
in  the  harbor  were  as  actively  emi)loyed  as  our  own.  Ever  and 
anon  the  shells  flew  out  from  the  mortar  batteries  at  Fort  John- 
son, Sullivan's  Island,  and  Mount  Pleasant.  The  Floating  Bat- 
terj'",  stationed  in  the  Cove,  was  quite  hidden  from  our  view  by 
the  smoke  from  its  own  guns,  but  it  was  not  dillicult  to  see  the 
effective  execution  of  its  42-pounders  upon  the  north  parapet  of 
Fort  Sumter.  Quite  a  large  portion  of  the  Sullivan's  Island 
shore  was  also  wrapped  in  the  white  smoke,  but  the  incessant 
flashing  from  the  merlons  of  Fort  Moultrie  assured  us  that 
Ripie}'  was  hammering  away  with  characteristic  vigor.  At  . 
first  the  Morris  Island  batteries  alternated  regularly  with  tli^ 
others,  but  later  this  arrangement  was  found  embarrassing,  audi 
our  batteries  fired  at  the  discretion  of  the  officers  eoninuuiding  ; 
them. 

now    TIIK    GUNS    WERE    MANNED. 

Here,  perhaps,  I  ought  to  give  some  account  of  the  men  Avho 
"worked  the  guns  in  this  portion  of  the  harbor.  The  batteries 
■which  bore  upon  Fort  Sumter  from  Morris  Island  are  three  in 
number,  mounting  in  all  six  guns  and  six  mortars.  The  outer- 
most of  these  is  the  now  famous  Trapier  Battery,  in  itself  a 
monument  of  engineering  science  and  energ}-.  It  is  comj)osed 
of  massive  beams  and  sand-bags,  and  contains  at  this  time  three 
eight-inch  mortars.  AVhen  the  work  was  first  built,  it  also 
mounted  some  heavy  guns;  but  these  have  been  removed,  their 
carriages  and  closed  emlirasures  remaining  to  show  the  position 
which  they  occupied.  The  Trapier  Batter}' was  manned  by  the 
Marion  Artillery,  Captain  King,  assisted,  towards  the  close  of 
the  bombardment,  by  the  Sumter  Oiuards,  Captain  Iiussell. 
The  former  company  labored  incessantly  at  their  jiitces,  fron\ 
the  opening  of  the  bombardment  until  Saturday  morning. 
Their  fire  was  skillful,  and  but  very  few  of  their  shells  failed 
to  explode  either  in  or  over  the  fort. 

The  next  work,  and  nearer  to  the  cit}'  than  the  Trapier  bat- 
ter}',  is  the  Stevens,  or  Iron  Battery — a  novelty  in  military 
engineering — planned  by  and  constructed  under  the  supervision 
of  an  estimable  son  of  this  State.     The  etliciency  of  this  unicpie 


15 

fortification  was  a  matter  of  no  little  concern  to  many  previous 
to  the  action  :  but  all  doubts  Avere  immediately  disjtclled  by 
Major  Anderson's  tests,  as  I  shall  presently  relate.  The  Iron 
Battery  contains  three  heavy  Columbiads.  It  is  flanked  by 
immense  slopes  of  sand  bags,  and  these  are  luirrowed  very 
curiously,  but  securely,  Avith  places  to  retreat,  which  the  sol- 
diers call  "  ratholes  "  but  which  are  in  reality  very  dry,  capa- 
cious and  comfortable  chajubcrs,  except,  perhaps,  tliat  the 
ceiling  might  be  a  trifle  higher.  And  here  I  may  as  well  say 
that  all  tiie  fortifications  have  one  or  more  of  these  rat-holes, 
to  be  used  as  a  magazine,  a  hospital  or  as  quarters  for  the  relief 
according  to  circumstances.  Passing  from  the  Iron  Batter^^ 
we  come  to  the  Point  Battery,  a  large  work  containing  three 
ten-inch  mortars,  two  42-pounders,  and  the  newly  arrived  rifle 
cannon,  presented  to  the  State  by  Charles  K.  Prioleau,  Esq., 
now  in  Liverpool,  and  juiiior  partner  in  the  firm  of  John  Frascr 
k  Co.  It  Avill,  doubtless,  be  a  great  satisfaction  to  that  gentle- 
man to  know  that  his  timely  gift  was  so  serviceable  to  our 
ti'00]>s.  The  gun  has  patent  side-sights  attached,  b}-  means  of 
which  the  greatest  accuracy  of  range  was  obtained,  and  each 
of  its  conical  l)alls  crashed  throngh  its  nuirk  with  telling  effect. 
Both  these  last  named  important  j)osts.  the  Iron  and  Point  Bat- 
teries, wei-e  held  by  the  Palmetto  Guards,  Captain  Cuthbert — a 
gallant  corps,  Avhich,  for  numbers,  alertness,  efficiency  and  un- 
exampled coolness  in  action,  Avon  the  respect  and  admiration  of 
all  Avho  saAv  them  during  the  fight.  I  think  that  their  oflicers 
must  be  proud  of  such  men,  and  I  know  that  those  officers  ai'e 
not  uuAvorthy  of  their  command.  The  tAvo  batteries  manned 
by  the  Guards  Avcre  commanded  by  Major  Stevens,  of  the  Cita- 
del Academy.  Captain  Cuthbert  dcA'Oted  himself  especiallj'  to 
the  direction  of  the  Iron  Battery.  The  rifled  cannon  Avas 
Avorked  by  a  squad  of  the  Palmetto  Guards,  under  the  superin- 
dence  of  Captain  Thomas,  of  the  Citadel  Academy.  I  should 
not  omit  to  mention  the  fine  looking  companies  in  charge  of  the 
long  line  of  batteries  pointing  to  the  Ship  Channel  and  extend- 
ing along  the  Avhole  extent  of  the  Morris  Island  beach.  Al- 
though the}'  Avere  not  called  into  action,  Ave  cannot  forget  that 
it  is  to  their  sleepless  A'igilance  Ave  must  attribute  the  indis])osi- 
tion  of  the  fleet  to  reinforce  Anderson's  garrison.  Perhaps 
through  the  foolhardiness  of  our  enemies,  they  may  yet  luiA-e 
an  opportunity  of  \'indieating  their  valor  in  the  fight  as  Avell 
as  their  \'igilance  on  the  Avatch. 

ANDERSON    OPENS    HIS    BATTERIES. 

At  half-past  six  o'clock  a  dull,  unpleasant  drizzle  began  to 
fall,  and  tlie  leaden  sky  betokened  a  dreary  day.  Our  guns 
kept  pounding  iiuliscriminately  at  the  AA-alls,  parapet  and  quar- 
ters of  Fort  Sumter,  but  for  nearly  tAvo  hours  no  reply  came. 
The  Fort  seemed  as  if  all  Avithin  Avcre  asleep;  not  a  casemate 


16 

^v^ls  opciK'd,  and  tlicre  was  no  niovenu'nt  noticeable  in  any  por- 
tion of  the  post,  excepting  the  flajiping  of  the  United  States 
fla«^,  floating  defiantly  from  a  very  loftj'^  staff.  Thus  things 
continued  until  a  few  minutes  after  seven  o'clock,  when  a  shout 
from  the  hundreds  peeping  over  the  sand-bags  announced  that 
Anderson  had  opened  firo.  He  began  with  his  heavy  casemate 
guns  beai-ing  upon  C'ummings'  Point.  His  first  ett'orts  were 
directed  to  batter  down  the  Iron  Battery.  For  a  time  his  shots 
were  watched  with  intense  interest,  but  after  fifteen  minutes' 
firing  it  became  aiii)arent  that  he  could  make  no  serious  impres- 
sion ujion  the  iron-cased  roof  Ball  after  ball  reltoundeil  from 
the  close  layers  of  railroad  iron,  and  splashed  their  way  harm- 
lessly through  the  marsh  beyond.  Most  of  his  shots  were  aimed 
too  high,  and  whizzed  above  the  battery  without  striking  it. 
These  went  ricochetting  over  the  surface  of  the  water,  tearing 
up  vast  masses  of  the  sea-weed,  and  giving  a  terrible  fright  to 
hundreds  of  the  sea-fowl,  which  rose  in  every  direction  from 
the  marsh.  The  effect  of  the  shots  which  hit  the  iron  battery 
was  not  perceptible  to  those  within,  except  by  the  noise  of  the 
concussion,  and  even  this  was  not  so  loud  as  we  had  expected. 

At  half-]iast  seven  o'clock,  the  flash  from  the  parapet  of  Fort 
Sumter  announced  that  Anderson  had  begun  to  work  his  bar- 
bette guns.  This,  however,  did  not  continue  very  long,  for  the 
continual  explosion  of  our  shells  in  every  dii-ection,  on  and 
around  the  ])arapets,  soon  admonished  him  of  the  risk  of  ex- 
posing his  men  in  that  position.  At  twenty  minutes  before 
eight  o'clock,  an  alarm  from  our  guard  boats  cruising  about  the 
bar,  announced  a  steamer  in  the  offing.  Looking  out  from  the 
crest  of  the  sand  hills  Avith  n\y  glass,  I  could  descr}^,  in  the  far 
distance,  a  large  steamer,  very  similar  in  apjiearance  to  those 
which  pi}'  between  Chai'lcston  and  New  York.  It  w:is  after- 
wards ascertained  to  be  the  Nashville.  Later  in  the  day  three 
other  vessels  were  seen — two  of  them  evidently  men-of-war. 
They  made  no  attempt,  however,  to  come  in,  but  lay  together 
in  the  offing  throughout  the  day.  About  half-past  ten  o'clock, 
a  shot  froni  Anderson  struck  the  middle  port  of  the  Iron  Bat- 
tery, crushing  in  the  iron  plates  that  protected  the  guns, 
making  an  indenture  of  several  inches.  The  ball  did  not  pene- 
trate, but  glanced  off  like  the  othei-s  over  the  marsh.  The 
force  with  whicli  it  struck  the  door,  however,  unfortunately  so 
disarranged  the  lever  by  which  the  port  was  opened  and  closed, 
that  it  was  found  impossible,  dui-ing  the  remainder  of  the  day, 
to  work  that  gun.  The  other  two  kept  up  a  brisk  fire  through- 
out the  Avhole  of  the  bombardment. 

The  firing  from  all  the  batteries  on  both  sides  of  the  harbor 
was  maintained  steadily  until  nightfall.  Major  Anderson,  dur- 
ing the  afternoon,  appeared  to  have  become  convinced  that  his 
efforts  to  riddle  the  Iron  Batter}^  were  ineffectual,  for  the  steady 
fire  Mdiich  he  had  kept  up  against  Cummings'  Point  was  trans- 
ferred to  Fort  Moultrie,  the  Dahlgren  and  the  Floating  Batte- 


17 

rie>  on  tlie  other  side  of  the  bay.  He  took  care,  however,  at 
irreguhn*  intervals  of  rifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  to  send  a  shot 
whizzing  over  our  heads,  and  this  kept  our  men  upon  the  qui 
vive.  At  one  time  I  noticed  that  tlie  direction  of  his  shots 
against  Morris  Ishand  was  changed  from  the  Point  batteries  to 
those  farther  out.  Perhaps  he  meant  to  rake  tl>e  camps,  the 
sight  of  Avhich  was  phunly  enough  indicated  by  our  flags.  If 
such  was  his  design,  his  aim  was  very  creditable,  for  the  balls — 
some  said  grape — whistled  a  few  feet  above  the  heads  of  the 
Sumter  Guards,  Avho  had  been  detached  from  the  Seventeenth 
Regiment,  and  posted  as  a  reserve  at  the  head  of  the  line  of 
tents,  to  act  as  a  relief  to  the  Marion  Artiller}',  at  the  Trapier 
Battery.  Whenever  a  flash  from  the  south-eastern  casemate 
announced  that  a  shot  was  coming,  it  was  somewhat  ludicrous 
to  notice  the  sudden  dodge  of  hundreds  of  heads  behind  the 
sand  hills,  and  the  abject  prostration  of  such  of  the  darkies  as 
had  not  alread}'  betaken  themselves  to  the  other  extremity  of 
the  Island.  A  few  minutes  before  seven  o'clock,  the  fire  from 
Fort  Sumter  ceased.  Shortly  afterwards  our  guns  also  stopped 
firing.  At  half-past  seven  the  rain,  which  had  been  lowering 
all  day,  began  to  fall  in  torrents,  and  most  of  our  men  sought 
such  shelter  as  was  to  be  had.  The  storm  was  a  trjing  one. 
The  wind  howled  drearily  over  the  sand  hills,  and  the  rain 
descended  with  a  foi'ce  and  volume,  against  which  the  slight 
tents  and  leaky  sheds — the  only  available  cover — were  a  poor 
protection.  The  storm  continued,  with  an  occasional  lull,  until 
near  morning.  Meantime  our  gallant  young  gunners  at  the 
Mortar  Batteries,  nothing  daunted  by  the  disagi'ceable  rain, 
had  kept  up  their  firing  of  shells  during  the  entire  night, 
though  at  somewhat  longer  intervals  than  before.  Tlie  Sumter 
Cruards  deserve  special  mention  for  the  alacrity  with  which 
they  performed  the  laborious  and  unpleasant  duty  of  strength- 
ening tl\e  foot  of  the  Iron  Battery  with  sand-bags.  For  many 
hours  of  the  night  during  the  worst  of  the  storm  they  Avorked 
steadily,  lifting  the  wet  and  heavy  bags  into  position,  and 
when  day  broke  the  face  of  the  work  was  even  stronger  than 
on  Fi'iday. 

SECOND    DAY    OF    THE    BOMBARDMENT. 

Saturday  morning,  the  loth  of  April,  a  day  long  to  be  re- 
membered in  our  annals,  as  marked  by  the  close  of  the  most 
extraordinary  bomijardment  on  record,  came  in  bright  and 
glorious.  The  clouds  had  cleai'ed  awa}',  but  the  rain  liad  left 
the  ground  moist,  and  the  air  pleasantly  cool.  About  sunrise 
a  vigorous  fire  was  re-opened  from  our  guns.  The  efteets  of 
the  first  day's  bombardment  could  now  be  easily  seen  without 
the  aid  of  a  glass.  The  south  and  east  facades  of  Fort  Sumter 
were  completely  pitted  by  balls,  and  from  what  Ave  had  seen  of 
the  fire  from  Sullivan's  Island  and  the  Cove,  Ave  kncAV  that  the 
north  fa.-ade  could  not  be  in  much  better  condition.     The  edge 


18 

of  the  parapet  was  in  many  places  cut  off,  a  number  of  the 
guns  were  dismounted,  and  the  einhrazures  of  the  casemates 
were  so  battered,  that  the  reguhvrity  of  their  outline  could 
hardly  be  distinguished.  The  chimneys  and  roof  of  the  bar- 
racks were  also  perforated  in  many  places  by  our  balls.  The 
guns  of  Fort  Sumter  did  not  re-open  fire  until  seven  o'clock, 
when  the  shots  began  to  pour  in  quick  succession  from  the 
casemates  pointing  towards  Fort  Moultrie,  llipley's  men  re- 
turned shot  for  shot,  and  at  each  discharge  from  Sullivan's 
Island,  we  could  see  great  fragments  of  the  parapet  of  Sum- 
ter toppling  over  into  the  water. 

FORT    SUMTKU    ON    FIRE. 

At  ten  minutes  after  eight,  A.  M.,  a  thick  black  smoke  was 
seen  issuing  from  the  southern  portion  of  Fort  Sumter,  and  a 
moment  later,  a  wild  shout  of  triumph  rang  along  the  sand- 
hills, and  was  heartil}-  echoed  across  the  water  from  Sullivan's 
Island  and  Fort  .Johnson,  as  we  saw  the  red  flames  ])iercing 
the  top  of  the  barracks,  and  borne  eastward  l)y  the  high  wind, 
wrapping  the  entire  parapet  in  dense  clouds  of  smoke.  The 
sight  infused  new  confidence  into  our  men,  and  the  bombard- 
ment immediately  became  far  more  rapid  and  fierce  than  at 
any  previous  time.  The  singular  coolness  with  which  our  gun- 
ners had,  until  then,  performed  their  duty,  seemed  for  a  mo- 
ment to  have  given  way  to  the  excitement  of  the  novel  scene. 
The  bombs  flew  so  thick  and  fast,  that  we  could  see  them 
exploding  in  groups  over  the  flaming  fortress,  while  only  a  few 
seconds  intervened  between  the  hammering  fire  of  the  heavy 
ordnance.  The  fire  blazed  furiousl}-,  until  the  whole  line  of 
the  barracks  on  the  south  side  of  Fort  Sumter  Avas  swept 
away,  leaving  only  some  of  the  crumbled,  blackened  and  tot- 
tering chimne3's  towering  over  the  ramparts.  Then  the  fire 
burned  lower,  the  flames  sank  behind  the  parapet,  and  we  were 
left  in  ignorance  as  to  their  further  progress.  In  the  course  of 
the  forenoon,  we  noticed  several  violent  explosions,  ap])arently 
doing  serious  damage  to  the  fort,  but  whether  these  were 
caused  by  the  fire  communicating  to  hand-grenades  and  like 
combustibles,  or  to  the  magazines,  we  could  only  conjecture. 
During  the  progress  of  the  conflagration,  for  a  longtime  Major 
Anderson  maintained  a  steady  and  terrible  firing  against  Fort 
Moultrie,  but  very  few  guns  were  fired  towards  Morris  Island. 

THE    FLAG-STAFF    SHOT   AWAY. 

At  a  quarter  before  one  o'clock,  another  tremendous  cheer 
from  the  watchers  upon  our  batteries  called  me  to  my  point  of 
observation,  just  in  time  to  see  the  flag-staff  of  Fort  Sumter 
beai'ing  the  flag  of  the  United  States  falling  heavil}'  inside  the 
Fort.  It  fell  from  the  effect  of  a  shot  fired  from  Fort  Moultrie, 
and  aimed  by  Lieut.   W.  C.  Preston,  Company  A,  relieving 


19 

Company  B,  at  the  time  under  the  efficient  command  of  Lieut. 
AVagncr.  From  this  auspicious  moment,  the  impression  became 
general  among  our  men  that  the  fortress  would  be  ours  before 
night  fall.  For  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  I  could  see  no  ensign 
over  the  fort,  but,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  I  descried  a  large 
Ignited  States  flag  elevated  amid  the  smoke  close  on  the  north 
wall  of  the  fort.  Meantime  a  small  boat  had  shot  out  I'rom  the 
beach  of  Cummings'  Point  towards  the  wharf  of  Fort  Sumter. 
I  afterwards  learned  that  it  contained  Col.  Louis  T.  AVigfall, 
Aid  to  Gen.  Beauregard,  and  Private  Gourdin  Young,  of  the 
Palmetto  Guards.  Col.  AVigfall  bore  a  flag  of  truce  upon  his 
sword.  A  white  flag  also  waved  upon  Fort  Sumter,  and  in  a 
short  time  the  conclusion  of  the  negotiations  was  announced  to 
us  by  the  disappearance  of  the  United  States  flag  from  the  fort. 

THE  SURRENDER  ANNOUNCED. 

The  rest  is  briefly  told  Col.  Wigfall  returned  and  notified 
the  Captains  of  the  several  companies  to  inform  their  respective 
commands  that  the  fort  was  unconditionally  surrendered.  The 
scene  that  followed  was  altogether  indescribable.  The  troops 
upon  the  hills  cheered  and  cheered  again.  A  horseman  gal- 
loped at  full  speed  along  the  beach,  waving  his  cap  to  the 
troops  near  the  Light-house.  These  soon  caught  up  the  cry, 
and  the  whole  shore  rang  Avith  the  glad  shouts  of  thousands. 
The  first  burst  of  exultation  over,  all  eyes  were  turned  to  the 
fleet  in  the  offing,  and  the  guards  resumed  their  wonted  rounds 
upon  the  batteries  which  have  so  nobly  vindicated  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  State. 


A  NIGHT  IX  THE  HARBOR— A   CRUISE   AFTER  THE 

EXEMY. 

Steamer  Seabrook,  Stono  Inl?:t,  ") 
April  12,  l.sGl.      j 

About  seven  o'clock  on  Thursday  evening  last,  two  of  the 
South  Carolina  vessels,  under  command  of  Commodore  Harts- 
tene,  left  Charleston  for  a  cruise  off  the  bar. 

The  squadron  consisted  of  the  steamers  Clinch  and  Sea- 
brook.  The  foi*mer  was  the  flag-ship.  Both  have  been  fitted 
up  with  a  view  to  service  in  tlie  liarbor,  and  are  furnished  with 
twelve-pounder  howitzers,  and  a  force  sufficient  to  serve  them. 
There  was  no  want  of  ammunition.  In  short,  every  prepara- 
tion was  made  for  a  successful  cruise.  The  following  are  the 
officers  of  the  Clinch:  Lieut.  Pelot,  Commanding;  Lieut. 
Porcher;  Midshipmen  R.  H.  Bacot  and  G.  1).  Bryan.  The 
Seabrook  was  commanded  as  follows :  Lieutenant  Com- 
manding J.  M.  Stribling  J   Lieutenant  Evans  j   First  Assistant 


20 

Eiii!;incer,  J.  H.  Lo]>or;  Assistant  .Siirircon  K.  AV.  (Jibbos;  Gun- 
ner Cudd}',  and  Midshipmen  In<j;rabani  and  Wilkinson.  The 
Lady  iJavi.s,  also  t'onns  a  ])ai-t  olthe  squadron,  but  she  was  not 
on  duty  last  night.  Her  ottieers  consist  of  liieut.  J)ozier,  Com- 
inonding;  Lieut,  (irimble;  Fir.st  Lieut.  ]Ienr\'  A.  Mullins,  act- 
ing Pilot ;  First  Assistant  Engineer  (ieddes;  Third  Assistant 
Engineer  Yates,  and  Midshipman  Thomas.  The  Clinch  had 
taken  her  position  near  the  l)ai"  early  in  the  afternoon,  and 
according!}'  it  was  the  Seabrook  that  left  Charleston  at  7 
o'clock,  clieered  by  the  large  crowd  at  the  wharf  Altout  half 
])ast  seven,  under  easy  head  of  steam,  the  various  conjectures 
in  regard  to  what  would  be  the  probable  reply  of  ^fajor  Ander- 
son to  the  summons  to  surrender,  Avcre  suddenly  cut  short  by 
the  look-out  reporting  a  rocket  seaward.  All  eyes  were  in- 
stantl}'  turned  in  that  direction,  and  tAvo  red  rockets  burst  in 
the  air,  followed  by  the  burning  of  a  blue  light.  Fort  Johnson 
])roniptl3"  recognized  the  signal  that  our  enemy  had  made  his 
sippearance,  sending  up  the  answering  rocket  almost  the  in- 
stant the  blue  light,  displayed  by  the  Clinch,  disappeared. 
Excitement  and  preparation  for  whatever  might  occur  immedi- 
ately succeeded.  The  howitzers  were  manned,  the  decks  were 
st.rip])cd,  guns,  revolvers  and  ammunition  were  distributed. 
AVhen  all  that  could  be  had  been  done,  silently  sped  the  steamer 
on  her  course,  steadily  she  a])proachcd  Fort  Sumter,  all  black- 
ness in  the  distance.  Suddenly  a  hail  was  heartl,  and  a  hoarse 
voice  shouted  "the  pirates  are  otf  the  bar."  "AVhat  steamer":'" 
v,'as  asked.  •'  The  liari-iet  Lane,  twelve  miles  out,"  shouted  the 
name  gruff  voice,  and  we  were  then  informed  that  she  alone,  of 
all  the  expected  cruisers,  had  been  seen.  Great  eagerness  was 
at  once  manifested  to  reach  our  destination.  It  was  fully  ex- 
pected an  attempt  would  be  made  to  land  troops  in  boats. 
This  it  was  the  purpose  of  the  expedition  to  prevent.  Finally, 
at  8  o'clock,  the  Steamer  lay  otf  the  Clinch,  when  a  pilot  boat 
brought  a  confirmation  of  the  approach  of  the  Harriet  Lane. 
Commodore  llartstene  then  took  possession  of  the  flag-ship, 
and  twenty  men  were  transferred  from  the  Clinch  to  the  Sea- 
brook.  The  hour  at  which  Major  Anderson  was  to  indicate  his 
decision  by  the  firing  of  a  shell,  having  arrived,  all  eyes  were 
strained  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Sumter.  As  minute  after 
minute  elapsed,  and  the  stillness  and  blackness  of  Fort  Sumter 
remained  unbroken,  the  belief  Ijecame  genei-al  that  Major  An- 
derson had  surrendered. 

In  the  meantime  the  squadron  lost  not  sight  of  its  duty. 
Both  vessels  cruised  all  night  in  search  of  the  expected  war 
boats,  just  within  the  bar.  It  was  the  original  intention  of  the 
Con\nianding  Officer  to  have  proceeded  out  to  sea,  but  as  the 
wind  increased,  and  there  was  everj'  indication  of  a  "  heavy 
blow,"  the  pilots  said  it  could  not  be  done  with  safety.  In  this 
manner  an  hour  passed,  supper  was  eaten — 10  o'clock  arrived, 
and  yet  Fort  Sumter  had  given  no  signal,  nor  had  the  slightest 


21 

appearance  of  hostilities  been  noticed  on  the  part  of  our  batte- 
ries. Belief  now  became  certainty,  and  not  one  of  us  but  ex- 
pected to  steam  into  Charleston  for  breakfast,  after  saluting 
the  Palmetto  Avaviuiif  over  that  much  coveted  "  four  acres  of 
land."  The  expedition,  however,  redoubled  its  vii^-ilance,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  surprise.  Lieut.  Striblini^ 
sleeplessly  paced  the  deck  all  night.  Ilis  enerijy  and  persever- 
ance overcame  all  obstacles.  Lieut.  Evans  took  the  first  watch 
as  officer  of  the  deck;  Midshipman  Inu;raham  took  the  second  ; 
.First  Assistant  En<^ineer  Lojior  the  third;  (luuner  Cuddy 
the  fourtii;  and  Midshipman  Wilkinson  the  morninj;-  watch. 
Scarcelj',  however,  had  the  latter  officer  entered  upon  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties,  before  he  made  a  report  that  cleared  up 
all  doubt, as  to  the  decision  of  Major  Anderson  and  the  deter- 
mination of  General  Beauregard. 

At  4.40  A.  >i.,  the  signal  shell  was  thrown  from  Fort  Johnson, 
and  shortly  afterwards  the  contest — a  contest  that  will  make 
the  12th  of  April,  18G1,  a  memorable  day  in  histor}' — for  the 
possession  and  occupation  of  Fort  Sumter  commenced.  Shell 
followed  shell  in  quick  succession  ;  the  harbor  seemed  to  be  sur- 
rounded with  miniature  volcanoes  belching  forth  fire  and  smoke. 
Still  Major  Anderson  gave  no  sign  of  resentment,  save  the  defi- 
ance expressed  at  his  flag-staff.  But  a  shell  from  Cummings' 
Point  bursts  on  the  parapet — the  brave  Cummings'  Pointers  are 
getting  the  range  !  Another  falls  quite  within  ;  and  now  Fort 
Moultrie  seems  to  have  got  the  range  ;  and  the  Floating  Bat- 
ter}', which  the  North  believed  a  humbug,  begins  to  indicate 
her  position.  She's  not  exacth'-  at  her  wharf  in  Charleston,  nor 
is  it  positive  she  will  not  take  a  position  nearer  still  to  Fort 
Sumter.  It  is  getting  to  be  warm  work  for  Major  Anderson. 
There,  I  see  a  flash — there  goes  the  first  shot  from  Fort  Sumter, 
right  plump  at  Cummings'  Point.  A  considerable  interval 
elapses,  which  is  improved  by  all  the  batteries  within  range  of 
Fort  Sumter,  and  then  the  question  of  whether  I\[njor  Ander- 
son will  keep  up  the  fire  is  definitel}'  settled.  Casemate  follows 
casemate  with  dogged  deliberation.  But  Avhilst  all  this  was 
transpiring,  we  were  rapidly  steaming  out  to  sea.  There  goes 
the  whistle  of  the  General  Clinch,  and  we  haul  up  close  and 
receive  orders  to  follow  in  her  wake.  We  come  to  anchor,  and 
presently  Lieut.  Stribling  starts  from  his  seat,  seizes  a  glass, 
and  looks  eagerly  eastward,  lie  reports  a  steamer,  «nd  what 
he  supposes  to  be  a  brig,  standing  straight  in.  The  vessels  are 
at  a  great  distance,  however;  but  Avhen  we  see  them  more 
])Iaiidy,  we  are  almost  satisfied  that  we  have  had  a  sight  of  the 
Lincoln  squadron,  or  at  least  a  portion  of  it.  The  General 
Clinch  makes  another  signal,  and  we  haul  in  our  anchor  and 
steam  towards  Cummings'  Point.  As  Ave  go  by  battery  after 
battery,  we  can  see  the  men  on  the  beach  waving  their  hands 
to  us,  and  distinguish  a  fiiint  cheer.  At  last  we  come  to  anchor 
close  in,  where  an   excellent  view  of  the  firing  was  obtained. 


22 

In  a  l)rief  period  tlic  stoanuT  wliicli  had  been  seen  off  the  bar 
became  phiiiily  visible  at  C'umiinngs'  Point.  She  was  taken  for 
the  Harriet  Lane.  Tlie  sijuadron  immediately  steamed  out  to 
sea,  and  as  we  iieared  the  stran<;e  steamer,  she  ran  Jip  the  Pal- 
metto fla^.  It  is  believed  to  have  been  the  Nashville,  Captain 
Murray,  from  New  York.  At  tirst  she  made  for  the  squadron, 
but  afterwards  ohani^ed  her  coui'se,  and  when  last  seen  was 
headinjj;  for  Charleston. 

Stono  was  reaehecl  about  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.,  Avithout  any  fur- 
ther adventure,  and  as  the  vessel  came  to  anchor,  Fort  PaU 
metto  tired  a  gun.  Commodore  JIartstene  went  on  shore,  and 
made  a  report.  It  apjjcars  that  this  was  the  first  intelligence 
of  the  commencement  of  hostilities  that  had  been  received; 
the  firing  of  the  guns  not  being  andilile  at  this  distance,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  wind. 

At  seven  o'clock  we  left  Fort  Palmetto.  All  was  quiet  there. 
No  steamers  were  in  sight,  and  the  Fdisto  had  arrived  with 
Captain  Shedd's  command,  consisting  of  eighty  tall,  stout, 
fighting  men.  The  men  are  in  the  best  of  8j)irits.  and  have 
made  up  their  minds  to  fight  to  the  death.  Captain  Pope  and 
the  Lafayette  Artillery  have  been  at  this  forti*ess  for  the  last 
thi'ce  months,  and  they  have  made  it  almost  impregnable. 
Their  battery  fully  commands  Stono  Inlet,  and  woe  to  the 
unlucky  vessel  with  Yankee  colors  that  escapes  the  breakers 
and  gets  within  range. 

The  firing  of  our  batteries  was  audible  for  miles,  and  the 
large  volume  of  smoke  issuing  from  Fort  Sumter  created  almost 
universal  belief  that  Major  Anderson  had  surrendered. 


SCENES   AND  INCIDENTS   OF   THE  BOMBAilDMENT. 

APPEARANCE  OF  FOUT  SUMTER  0\  SATURDAY  EVENING. 

An  officer,  who  visited  the  fort  soon  after  the  terms  of  evac- 
uation M'ere  made,  states  that  the  scene  there  presented  is 
be^'ond  conception.  "Without,  the  walls  have  the  appearance, 
ut  a  distance,  of  having  been  covered  with  an  immense  number 
of  brick  poultices  spattered  in  every  direction.  This  is  the 
shattering  effect  of  the  shot.  Within,  the  entire  fort  wore  an 
aspect  as  if  the  hand  of  the  destroying  angel  had  swept  ruth- 
lessly by,  and  left  not  a  solitary  object  to  i-elieve  the  general 
desolation.  The  blackened  walls  of  the  officers'  and  soldiers' 
quarters  were  yet  smoking,  ashes  and  embers  met  the  eye  at 
every  turn,  Avhiie  the  shot  and  shell  which  had  been  rained 
upon  the  stronghold  lay  in  great  quantities  upon  all  portions 
of  the  parade  ground. 


23 


CONDITION    OF    THE    GARRISON. 


The  ap'pearaucc  of  both  Major  Anderson,  his  officers  and  tlie 
men,  indicatcul  the  terrible  nature  of  the  ordeal  from  which 
they  had  just  cnieri;-ed.  Deprived  of  sleep  for  many  liours, 
fatigued  with  their  labors  at  the  guns,  and  prostrated  by  their 
battle  with  an  element  which  waged  beyond  their  control,  they 
looked  worn,  haggard,  and  read}'  to  drop  with  sheer  exhaus- 
tion. When  the  tire  was  at  its  greatest  height,  Major  Ander- 
son stated  the  only  manner  in  which  they  could  breathe  was 
by  hiA-ing  flat  upon  the  ground  within  the  casemates,  with 
their  faces  to  the  earth;  while  added  to  the  danger  was  the 
occasional  explosion  of  the  piles  of  shells  collected  for  service 
at  different  ])oints  within  the  fort.  It  is  to  the  fact  that  so 
few  men  were  in  the  fortification  that  is  due  the  preservation 
of  life.  Major  Anderson  himself  stated,  that  had  there  been 
two  hundred  more,  not  less  than  one-half  of  them  must  have 
been  killed,  owing  to  the  absence  of  sufficient  room,  under  the 
circumstances,  for  their  protection.  As  it  was,  their  provisions 
would  have  given  out  in  two  days  more,  when  an  unconditional 
surrender  would  have  necessarily  resulted,  lie  also  remarked, 
that  yesterday  was  one  of  the  proudest  daj-s  of  his  life,  for 
while  he  had  endeavored  to  do  his  duty  as  an  officer,  he  had  not 
taken  the  life  of  a  fellow  being.  In  conversing  with  those 
about  him,  Anderson  was  free  in  expressions  of  regret  at  the 
necessity  which  compelled  the  destruction  of  public  property. 
On  being  introduced  to  Major  Stevens  of  the  Iron  Battery,  he 
complimented  that  gentleman  on  the  efficiency  of  his  batteiy. 
He  assured  the  Carolina  officer  that  his  work  could  be  no 
better  done. 

THE    EVACUATION. 

The  arrangements  for  the  departure  of  Major  Anderson 
were  completed  on  Sunda}'  morning.  At  the  early  hour  of  five 
o'clock.  Commodore  Ilartstene,  and  Messrs.  Jones,  Chief  of  the 
Staff,  and  Pryor  and  Miles,  Aides  to  General  Beauregard,  ac- 
companied by  Lieutenant  Snyder,  of  Major  Anderson's  com- 
mand, ])roceeded  in  the  Clinch  to  the  fleet  off  the  Bar.  They 
found  tlie  comnianding  officer.  Captain  Gillis,  on  board  the 
Powhatan.  Lieutenant  Sn^'der  obtained  an  interview  with 
Captain  Gillis,  who  asked  and  obtained  permission  to  visit 
Major  Anderson,  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  for  his  depar- 
ture. Accordingly,  about  nine  o'clock,  Captain  Gillis  and 
Lieutenant  Snyder  wei-e  deposited  at  Fort  Sumter,  when  it 
was  decided  that  Major  Anderson  and  his  command  would 
accept  the  offer  of  the  Isabel,  which   had   been  made  to  him. 

Major  Anderson  and  his  command  marched  out  to  the  tune 
of  "Yankee  Doodle."  They  were  dressed  in  full  uniform,  and 
carried  tlieir  arms.  Major  Anderson  looked  careworn  and 
deeply  despondent,  produced  no  doubt,  among  other  circum- 


24 

stances,  bj-  the  sad  accident  whioli  happened  while  sahiting  his 
flag.  AVhen  the  sahite  of  Major  Anderson  lo  his  flag  had  com- 
menced, the  Major  was  standing  on  the  Isabel,  when  a  gentle- 
man inquired  if  thirty-four  guns  was  the  salute.  "No,"  said 
the  i^fajor,  "it  is  one  hundred,  and  those  are  scarcely  enough," 
and  then  burst  into  tears. 

tup:    FIItE    IN    FORT    SUMTER. 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  after  Governor  Pickens  and  Staff,  and 
General  Beauregard  and  Staff  had  started  from  Sullivan's 
Island  to  take  ])ossossion  of  Fort  Sumter,  they  were  notified 
that  a  fire  had  broken  out,  and  that  the  magazine  was  in  great 
danger.  The  boat  iinnu'diately  jnit  back  to  Sullivan's  Island, 
and  took  on  board  two  Fire  Engines  that  were  on  the  Island, 
and  a  company  of  regulars  from  the  Floating  Battei'v.  The 
Engines  were  conveyed  under  the  command  of  ('ol.  II.  S. 
Duryea,  and  upon  their  landing,  a  stream  of  water  was  imme- 
diatcl}-  thrown  upon  the  fire  nearest  the  magazine.  Tlie  brakes 
\vere  manned  by  a  company  of  regulars,  and  by  volunteers 
from  the  noble  Palmetto  Guard.  Col.  Dur^-ea  returned  to  the 
city  about  nine  o'clock  on  Sunday  evening,  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  more  engines.  The  .Etna  Fire  Company,  with  their 
apparatus,  and  the  Axe  Company,  with  their  new  steam 
engine,  were  almost  immediately  placed  upon  the  steamer. 
They  went  down  to  the  Fort  in  charge  of  our  very  cfhcient 
Chief,  M.  II.  Nathan,  Esq.  The  firemen  played  three  streams 
all  night  upon  the  burning  mass,  and  partially  succeeded  in 
arresting  the  progress  of  the  fire.  About  half-past  ten,  in  pur- 
suance of  notice  on  the  bulletin  boards,  a  detachment  of  five 
firemen  from  each  company,  making  fifty  in  all,  left  the  city 
under  the  command  of  T.  Tapper,  Esq.,  to  relieve  their  com- 
rades. At  three  o'clock,  a  report  was  brought  by  Col.  Duiyea 
that  the  companies  were  at  last  gaining  upon  the  lire,  and  the 
magazine  was  considered  safe. 

THE    TREMATURE    DISCHARGE. 

The  following  arc  the  names  of  the  men  killed  and  wounded 
by  the  premature  discharge  of  the  cannon  in  firing  the  salute  : 
Daniel  Howe,  killed  almost  instantly,  and  buried  yestei'day, 
the  service  being  performed  by  the  Roy.  Mr.  Yates;  E^lward 
Galway,  mortally  wounded,  and  carried  to  the  hospital  ;  James 
Hayes,  George  Fielding,  John  Irwin,  (rcorge  Pritchard.  severely 
wounded.  The  above  are  all  of  Company  E,  First  Ilegiment 
United  States  Artillery. 

A  soldier's  burial. 

The  Rev.  W.  B.  Yates,  the  zealous  Pastor  of  the  Seaman's 
Chapel,  had  just  concluded  an  impressive  sermon  at  the  Bethel 


on  a  special  Providence,  as  illustrated  In-  the  happy  and  brilliant 
issue  of  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter,  when  he  was  \Yaited 
upon  by  an  ofKcer  and  requested  to  perform  the  burial  service 
over  the  unfortunate  soldier  Avho  had  lost  his  life  by  accident. 
With  chai'acteristic  promptness  he  answered  the  call,  and.  con- 
veyed ill  the  Lodebar's  boat,  Avhich  was  propelled  by  the  sinew}* 
ai'nis  of  the  young  sailors  of  the  School  Ship,  was  in  a  few 
minutes  inside  the  walls  of  the  fortress.  He  was  received  with 
courtesy  by  the  gallant  Anderson,  and  performed  the  solemn 
rites  for  the  stranger  soldier  who  had  passed  unhurt  through 
the  battle,  and  fell  under  the  arrow  of  death  while  his  heart 
was  beating  high  with  the  hope  of  a  joN'ous  reunion  Avith  Avife 
and  children.  Before  committing  the  mangled  body  to  the 
dust,  the  minister  pronounced  an  appropriate  address  to  his 
comrades  in  arms.  The  torn  and  mangled  remains  of  the 
brave  soldier  were  then  laid  in  a  grave  in  the  middle  of  the 
3^ard,  and  after  the  earth  had  been  heajied  upon  the  sacred 
spot,  a  volley  Avas  fired,  the  drum  beat  its  solemn  roll,  and  the 
garrison  was  transferred  to  the  Isabel. 

LEGISLATORS  AND  SOLDIERS. 

During  the  conflict,  so  gloriously  triumphant,  members  of  the 
CoHA'ention,  members  of  the  Legislature,  rendered  zealous  and 
*\'aluable  services  at  the  different  posts  and  batteries.  Ex-Gov. 
Manning,  Hon.  James  Chesnut,  Jr.,  and  the  Hon.  Wm.  Porcher 
Miles,  of  Gen.  Beauregard's  Staff,  exhibited  a  coolness,  fearless- 
ness and  disregard  of  danger,  Avhen  moving  from  battery  to 
batterA",  giving  the  orders  of  the  Commanding-General,  and 
iiis])iring  confidence  among  the  troops,  that  Avas  Avorthy  of  the 
highest  admiration.  These  gentlemen  kept  np  constant  com- 
munication betAveen  the  batteries  and  head-ciuarters  during  the 
bombardment,  Avith  shot  and  shell  bursting  over  their  heads 
and  all  around  them.  On  Morris'  Island,  besides  the  command- 
ing oiticer.  Gen.  James  Simons,  there  Avere  of  members  of  the 
Legislature,  Lieutenant-Colonel  W.  G.  De  Saussure  of  the  Ar- 
tillery, Col.  T.  G.  Lamar,  Capt.  A.  J.  Green  of  the  Columbia 
Artillery,  Col.  Henry  Buist,  Col.  Maxcy  Gregg  of  the  First 
Regiment  of  Volunteers,  a  member  of  the  Convention,  and  Col. 
T.  Y.  Simons,  also  a  member  of  the  Convention,  Avho,  since  the 
adjournment,  has  been  on  Morris'  Island  as  one  of  Brigadier- 
General  Simons'  Aides.  Other  distinguished  volunteers,  both 
from  the  CouA'cntion  and  the  Legislature,  accepted  appoint- 
ments on  the  Staff,  or  shouldered  a  musket  in  the  ranks. 

THE    FLOATING    BATTERY. 

This  poAverful  structure  Avas  a  great  success.  Upon  its  face 
there  are  twenty-five  Avell  defined  marks  of  balls,  and  many 
traces  of  glancing  shots.      The  deepest  indentation  does  not 


26 

exceed  seven  inches,  and  several  others  measure  two,  three  or 
four  inclies.  The  repulsive  power  and  virtues  of  the  jialinetto, 
fortified  and  coated  with  iron,  as  in  this  case,  were  signally 
exhibited,  and  the  predictions  of  many  who  considered  them- 
selves "knowing  ones"  concerning  the  slaughter  pen,  have 
been  falsified.  It  is  now  established  beyond  a  doubt  that  u 
floating  fortress  or  battery  of  palmetto  can  be  made  impreg- 
nable— especially  when  the  sons  of  the  Palmetto  are  the  engi- 
neers, builders  and  defenders.  The  Floating  l^atterj'  received 
in  all  one  hundred  and  sixty-three  shots  from  Fort  Sumter,  and 
discharged  four  hundred  and  ninety  balls  in  return,  of  which,  a 
ver^'  large  ])roportion  liit  the  mark,  and  In-ought  the  i)rick  dust. 
In  the  decisive  fire  of  Saturday,  which  for  a  time  threatened  to 
all  appearances  to  suject  the  garrison  to  a  greater  calamity 
even  than  war,  the  heroic  band  on  tiie  Floating  Battery  Avatched 
with  generous  admiration  the  devoted  daring  of  Major  Ander- 
son's garrison  amid  the  flames.  When  amid  these  trying  cir- 
cumstances Fort  Sumter  re-opened  in  a  well  directed  volley^  the 
cry  arose  "three  cheers  for  Major  Anderson."  They  were 
given  with  a  right  good  will,  and  histily. 

NARROW   ESCAPES. 

Although  during  the  thirty-four  consecutive  hours  through 
which  the  bombardment  lasted,  not  a  man  w^as  in  any  wa_>» 
injured  upon  our  side,  it  cannot  be  said  that  our  men  altogether 
escaped  Major  Anderson's  balls.  As  Capt.  Jones  was  standing 
in  the  Point  Battery  a  spent  ball,  which  had  struck  the  sancl 
bags  above,  rolled  over  striking  him  upon  the  back  of  the  neck, 
but  not  with  sufficient  force  to  hurt  him.  The  ball — a  thirty- 
two  pounder — was  preserved  as  a  memento  of  the  occasion. 

Arthur  P.  Lining,  a  member  of  the  Palmetto  Gruard,  stationed 
at  the  Iron  Batter^^,  narrowly  escaped  death  from  Major  Ander- 
son's first  gun  ujion  that  point.  He  w^as  upon  the  parapet, 
about  planting  the  Palmetto  Flag,  when  the  first  ball  from 
Sumter  passed  w'ithin  three  feet  of  him,  upon  which  he  (still 
retaining  his  position  on  the  parapet)  waved  the  Hag  aloft,  as 
if  in  defiance  of  Sumter,  amid  the  cheers  of  his  comrades,  and 
retired  behind  the  batter}'. 

MARION    AND    SUMTER. 

The  bright-quartered  flag  of  the  Marion  Artillery  floated 
proudl}'  over  the  Trapier  Batter}^  during  the  whole  of  the 
bombardment.  On  Saturday  morning,  wdien  the  men  at  these 
mortars  were  relieved  by  the  Sumter  Guards,  the  splendidly 
broidcred  l)lue  banner,  presented  by  some  ladies  a  short  time 
ago  to  the  latter  Compan}',  was  placed  side  b}'  side  with  the 
ensign  of  the  Marion's,  and  the  rest  of  the  action  was  Ibuglit 
with  both  flairs  wavin<>-  over  head.   It  was  noticed  as  a  sini>-ular 


coincidence  that  at  the  very  moment  when  the  emblems  of 
the  Game  Cock  and  the  Swamp  Fox  were  first  flutterin<; 
too-ether  from  the  crest  of  the  batter}^,  the  fire  was  discovered 
issuing  from  the  parapet  of  Fort  Sumter. 


IIOISTINCI  OUR  FLAGS. 

The  first  Palmetto  Flag  was  raised  on  Fort  Sumter  by  Cols. 
F.  J.  Moses,  Jr.,  and  J.  L.  Bearing,  of  Governor  Pickens'  Staff, 
and  the  Confederate  States  Flag  by  Capt.  Ferguson,  of  General 
Beaui'cgard's  Staff",  and  others,  in  the  presence  of  the  Governor, 
Genei-al  Beauregard's  Staff,  and  a  large  number  of  gentlemen, 
among  whom  Avci'e  Chancellor  Carroll  and  Judges  Gh:)ver  and 
Wardhvw.  A  salute  was  fired  from  each  of  the  batteries  on  the 
raising  of  these  flags.  The  detacliment  of  Pegular  Artillery, 
Company  B,  which  served  the  Sumter  Battery  at  Fort  Moultrie, 
under  Lieuts.  Alfred  Phett,  Mitchel  and  Bhike,  has  been 
ordered  to  Fort  Sumter,  where  the  whole  Company  will  remain 
under  Capt.  Hallonquist,  who  is  its  Captain,  and  is  already 
there  with  the  first  detachment. 


SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  VICTORY. 

The  glorious  issue  of  the  bombardment  was  duly  commemo- 
rated in  several  of  our  Churches  on  the  Sunday  following  the 
surrender.  The  incidents  in  "  Old  St.  Philip's"  we  wituesse<l 
were  deeply  touching.  The  heart  of  the  worshippers  in  that 
sacred  fane,  consecrated  by  the  precious  historic  memories 
which  made  the  glory  of  the  "  first  temple"  on  this  site,  had 
been  poured  out  in  devout  thanki^giving  to  the  Giver  of  Victory, 
when  a  venerable  old  man,  leaning  on  his  staff",  was  led  by  the 
Rector  to  the  sacred  desk.  It  was  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese, 
wholh'  blind  and  ])hysically  feeble,  yet  with  the  eyes  of  faitii 
discerning  the  light  of  Heaven,  and  rejoicing  therein^  In  his 
exhortation,  he  said  that  not  only  a  patriotic,  but  a  personal 
interest  in  the  great  event  of  the  past  week  had  brought  him 
to  the  city,  and  made  him  here  abide  until  the  battle  had  been 
fought.  Your  bo3's  were  there  and  mine  were  there,  and  it  teas 
rit/ht  that  they  should  be  there.  Still  the  heart  had  inl}'  bled ;  the 
strong  man.  as  well  as  the  tender  woman,  had  quivered  under 
the  influences  of  natural  affection,  for  Ave  Avere  not  children,  avc 
kncAv  Avhat  we  were  doing,  and  had  counted  the  cost,  and  had 
Aveighed  in  our  ver}^  souls  the  AA'arfiire  upon  Avhich  Ave  Avere 
going.  And  hoAv  very  marvellous  had  been  God's  doings ! 
lIoAV  unparalleled  his  agency.  All  our  children  had  passed 
through  the  fire  unhurt !     "  Xot  unto  us,  not  unto  us,  but  unto 


28 

Thv  name.  Oh  Lord,  lie  the  ji'lorv  I"  We  forbear  to  follow  the 
<f(>()<l  Bishop  throuifh  the  afteetinir  application  which  lie  made 
of  this  wonderful  Providence  of  God,  but  cannot  pass  over  the 
strontc  testimony  which  he  bore  to  his  firm  persuasion,  strength- 
ened by  travel  through  every  section  of  our  State  in  the  dis- 
charge of  pastoral  duty,  that  the  grand  moveuient  in  which  our 
jteople  were  now  engaged,  t\'as  begun  by  them  in  the  dee])est 
conviction  of  duty  to  God,  and  after  laying  their  case  befoi-e 
(rod — and  God  had  most  signally  blessed  our  dependence  on 
him. 

At  the  Cathedral  of  St.  John  and  St.  Finbar.  Bishop  Lynch 
alluded  in  happy  terms  to  the  events  of  the  previous  two  da^-s. 
and  a  Te  Deuni  was  chaunted  in  thanksgivinjL;  for  the  bloodless 
victory. 


APPENDIX 


DESCRIPTION  OF  FOllT  SUMTER. 

Fort  Sumter  is  built  upon  an  artificial  island,  at  the  entrance  of  our  harbor. 
The  foundation  being  of  stone,  it  must  be  of  the  strongest  nature.  That  portion 
of  the  fort  above  the  water  line  is  of  brick  and  concrete  of  the  most  solid  charac- 
ter. Its  plan  is  a  truncated  pentagon,  with  one  side  parallel  to  the  adjoining 
shore,  thus  presenting  an  angle  to  the  channel.  Of  the  truncated  angles  the  east- 
ern, western  and  northern  are  simply  formed  into  7*a»»-co»i^)cc»,  whilst  the  other 
two  are  formed  of  two  small  faces,  making  an  angle  of  about  fifteen  degrees  with 
the  sides  of  the  pentagon.  At  each  intersection  of  the  small  faces  is  a  sally-port. 
The  height  of  the  parapet  above  the  water-line  is  sixty  feet.  On  the  eastern  and 
western  sides  are  the  barracks  for  the  privates,  mess-hall,  kitchen,  &c.  On  the 
Southern  side  are  the  officers'  quarters,  which  are  finished  in  very  handsome  style. 
It  is  mounted  with  the  heaviest  guns  of  the  United  States  service,  arranged  in 
three  tiers,  the  two  lower  being  Casemates,  and  the  upper  Barbette  guns.  The 
Casemate  guns  are  those  which  are  fired  from  an  embrasure  in  the  Scarp  Walls, 
and  are  protected  from  the  enemy's  shells  by  an  arched  bomb-proof  covering  over- 
head: the  Barbette,  those  which  fire  over  the  parapet,  which  exposes  the  cauuoniers 
to  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  although,  in  this  instance,  the  height  of  the  ra"mi)arts  is  so 
great  that  there  is  ooniparatively  no  danger  from  the  shot  of  an  enemy's  fleet.  The 
armament  consists  of  140  pieces,  placed  in  the  following  order:  The  heaviest  guns, 
such  as  the  ,32  and  G4-pounders,  on  the  first  tier;  24  and  32-pounders  on  the  second 
tier;  Colunibiads  (3  and  10-inch)  and  heavy  sea-coast  mortars  on  the  top  of  the 
ramparts.  The  heaviest  pieces  are  turned  toward  the  harbor,  the  lighter  toward 
the  land  side;  which  side  is  further  protected  by  musketry,  for  which  loop-holes  are 
cut  in  the  Scarp  Wall.  The  number  of  each  kind  of  gun  is  about  thirty  64-pouud- 
ers,  the  same  number  of  32-pounders,  forty  24-pounders,  ten  of  each  calibre  of 
Columbiads,  ten  13-inch  and  ten  10-inch  mortars,  capable  of  throwing  about  four 
thousand  (4,000)  pounds  of  shot  and  four  thousand  three  hundred  (4,300)  pounds 
of  shell  at  each  discharge.  On  the  terra-parade  plain  are  situated  two  furnaces 
for  heating  shot.  The  magazines  are  situated  on  the  inner  sides  of  the  sally  ports, 
and  contain,  at  present,  40,000  pounds  of  powder,  and  a  proportionate  quantity  of 
shot  and  shell.  The  landing  to  the  fort  is  on  the  southern  or  land  side,  and  is 
formed  by  a  wharf  projecting  towards  the  shore,  and  also  extending  the  length  of 
that  face.  This  fort  would  be  nearly  impregnable  if  finished  and  propei-lj'  manned. 
Its  weakest  point  on  the  south  side,  of  which  the  masonry  is  not  only  weaker  than 
that  of  the  other  sides,  but  is  not  protected  by  any  flank  fire,  which  would  sweep 
the  wharf.  Once  lauded,  an  entrance  may,  at  the  present  state  of  the  construction, 
be  easily  made,  for  the  blinds  of  the  lower  embrasures,  though  six  inches  in  thick- 


30 

neFS,  may  yet  be  easily  blown  away.  And  even  if  this  was  impossible,  scaling  lad- 
ders can  reach  those  of  the  second  tier,  which  are.  not  protected  in  this  manner. 
This  concludes  the  brief  sketch  of  a  fort  which  is  a  most  perfect  specimen  of  civil 
and  military  engineering.  The  whole  work  has  been  conducted  in  a  manner  that 
reflects  the  highest  credit  upon  the  engineers,  and  is  worthy  to  occupy  the  promi- 
nent position  that  it  holds.  In  conclusion,  we  take  occasion  to  allude  to  one  point 
of  especial  beauty — the  construction  of  the  arches — of  which  there  are  nearly  every 
variety — the  "Full  Centre,"  the  "Segment,"  the  "  Groined,"  the  "Askew,"  and  the 
"Rampant" — and  to  add  that  the  walls  at  their  base  are  12  feet  thick,  and  at  the 
top  8i  feet  thick.  Fort  Sumter  lies  about  one  mile  from  the  Shore,  directly  on  the 
main  ship  channel,  which  passes  between  the  fort  and  Sullivan's  island,  on  which 
is  located  Fort  Moultrie,  about  one  mile  distant.  From  the  battery  of  Charleston 
City  Fort  Sumter  lies  about  five  miles  distant,  standing  out  in  the  open  bay,  one 
mile  from  the  land  on  either  side.  Fort  Moultrie  is,  in  military  phrase,  commanded 
by  Fort  Sumter. 

THE   GARRISON    IN    THE    FORT. 


Names. 

J,                 |Reoiment  or 
Coiu's. 

OlUOI.NAT, 

Entuv   into 
Si;  It  VICE. 

Where  Born. 

R.  Anderson 

Major 

1st  Artillery. 

July 

1,  1825, 

Kentucky. 

S.  W.  Crawford.. 

Ass't  Surgeon. 

Medical  Staff, 

Marc 

1  10,  1851. 

Pennsylvania. 

Abner  Doubleday, 

Captain 

l.st  Artillery. 

.lulv 

1,  1842, 

New  York. 

Trucmiin  Sovmour 

Ca])taiii 

1st  Artillery. 

.hily 

1,  184G, 

Vermont. 

Jetr.  C.  D,ivis 

1st  Lieutenant,  11  St  Artillery. 

June 

17,  1848, 

Indiana. 

J.  N.  Hall 

2d  Lieutenant, 

].«t  Artillery. 

July 

1,  1859, 

New  York. 

J.  G.  Foster 

Captain 

Engineers  . . . 

.July 

1,  1840. 

New  Hampshire. 

Cr.  W.  Snyder 

1st  Lieutenant, 

Engineers  . . . 

July 

1,  1856, 

New  York. 

K.  K.  Meade 

2d   Lieutenant, 

Engineers  . . . 

.July 

1,  1857, 

Virginia. 

Officers ? 

Band 15 

Artillerists 55 

Total 79 

Under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  this  force  would  only  be  suflicicut  to 
operate  nine  guns. 

WHO  MAJOR  ANDERSON  IS — HIS  CAREER. 

The  New  York  Leader  lias  a  biographical  sketch  of  the  present  eoininandor  of 
Fort  Sumter,  which  is  interesting  at  this  moment.     We  copy  a  passage: 

■'Major  Anderson  is  now  about  fifty-six  years  old,  arid  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
entering  the  Military  Academy  from  that  State,  and  graduating  with  distinction 
on  June  30,  1825.  The  record  of  his  military  service  shows  that  he  was  promoted 
to  a  first  Lieutenancy  in  1833,  and  made  Captain  by  brevet  in  1838,  for  gallantry 
and  successful  strategy  in  the  war  against  the  Florida  Indians.  In  the  same  year, 
he  was  appointed  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  with  the  rank  of  Captain  ;  the  Cap- 
taincy itself  not  coming  until  the  October  of  1841,  and  his  present  rank  of  Major 
only  reaching  him  last  year. 

"Jlajor  Anderson  has  also  performed  a  large  amount  of  the  staff  duty  incident 
to  the  service  a  few  years  since,  and  before  it  was  made  distinct  from  duty  in  the 
line.     He  acted  as  Assistant  Inspector  of  the   Illinois  Volunteers,   serving  with 


31 

Aliralmm  Lincoln  in  the  Blnck  Hawk  war  of  18?.2.  He  was  Assistant  Instructor 
and  Instructor  of  Artillery  at  the  Military  Acadotny  in  the  years  1S35,  '6  and  '7, 
and  was  Aid-dc-camp  to  Major-Gencl-al  Scott  in  1838. 

"During  the  Mexican  war,  the  Major  endured  all  the  labors  and  dangers  of  the 
campaign  ;  being  severely  wounded  in  the  assault  on  the  enemy's  works  at  Molino 
del  Rey,  and  receiving  brevet  majority  'for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  in 
that  action.'  Major  Anderson  has  also  received  from  the  Government  many  evi- 
dences of  its  trust  and  confidence  other  than  those  bestowed  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment. 

"His  last  service,  previous  to  his  taking  command  of  Fort  Moultrie,  was  as  a 
member  of  the  commission,  ordered  last  summer  by  Congress,  to  inquire  into  the 
manner  of  instruction  at  the  AVest  Point  Jlilitnry  Academy.  The  labors  of  that 
commission  (in  which  Major  Anderson  performed  his  part)  have  already  been  laid 
before  Congress. 

"In  physique,  the  Major  is  about  five  fegt  nine  inches  in  height;  his  figure  is 
well  set  and  soldierly:  his  hair  is  thin,  and  turning  to  iron-grey;  his  complexion 
swarthy;  his  eye  dark  and  intelligent;  his  nose  prominent  and  well-formed.  A 
stranger  would  read  in  his  air  and  appearance,  determination,  and  an  exaction  of 
what  was  due  to  him.  He  has  a  good  deal  of  manner.  In  intercourse  he  is  very 
Courteous,  and  his  rich  voice  and  abundant  gesticulations  go  well  together.  He  is 
always  agreeable  and  gentlemanly,  firm  and  dignified,  a  man  of  undaunted  courage, 
and  as  a  true  soldier,  may  be  relied  on  to  obey  orders,  and  to  do  his  duty." 


THE  OFFICIAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  oflicial  correspondence  which  took  place  before  the 
bombardment  commenced  : 


[No.  L] 

Gen.  Bcnnrcf/ard's  Dc-'patch  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Chari-eston,  April  8,  1861. 
To  L.  P.  ■\rALKER: 

Dear  Sir:  An  authorized  messenger  from  Lincoln  has  just  informed  Gov.  Pick- 
ens and  myself  that  provisions  will  be  sent  to  Fort  Sumter,  "  peaceably  if  they  can, 
fvircibly  if  they  must."' 

[Signed,]  G.  T.  Beauregard. 

[No.  2.] 

Reply  of  the  Secretary  of   War  to  Gen.  Beauregard. 

Montgomery,  April  10,  1861. 
To  Gen.  EEArREGARD,  Charleston  : 

If  you  have  no  doubt  of  the  authorized  character  of  the  agent  who  communicated 
to  you  the  intention  of  the  'Washington  Government  to  supply  Fort  Sumter  by  force, 
you  will  at  once  demand  its  evacuation  ;  and  if  this  is  refused,  proceed  in  such  a 
manner  as  you  may  determine  t'j  reduce  it.     Answer. 

[Signed,]  L.  P.  Walker. 


[No.  3.] 
Gen   lierrui-c'jnrd  to  the  Secretary  nf  U'.j/-. 

CnAiiLESTOX,  April  10,  ISfil. 
To  L.  P.  WAi.Krr. : 

The  demand  will  be  uiadc  to-morrow  at  twelve  o'clock. 

[Signed,]  G.  T.  Beauregard,  Brigiidier-Goncral. 

[No.  4.] 
The  Serretnry  nf  Wur  to  Gen.  Dcnurognrd. 

Montgomery,  April  10,  15*61. 
To  Gen.  BKAuuEGAni),  Charleston: 

Unless  there  are  special  reasons  connected  with  your  own  conditiuu,  it  is  con- 
sidered proper  that  j'ou  should  make  the  demand  at  an  earlier  hour. 

[Signed,]  L.  P.  Walker. 

[No.  5.] 
Oeti.  Bvnurvgard  to  the  Secreturi/  of  War. 

Charleston',  April  10,  ISCl. 
To  L.  P.  AValkkr: 

The  reasons  arc  special  for  twelve  o'clock. 

[Si^'ned,]  G.  T.  Bkavregard. 

[No.  fi.] 
Gen.  Beaiireijard  to  Major  Anderson. 

IIeai)quautei!S  Provisional  Akmv,  C.  S.  A., 
Charleston,  S.  C,  April  11,  1861—2,  i-.  m. 
Sir:  The  Government  of  the  Confederate  States  has  hitherto  forborne  from  any 
hostile  demonstration  again.st  Fort  Sumter,  in  the  hope  that  the  Government  of  the 
United  States,  with  a  view  to  the  amicable  adjustment  of  all  questions  between  the 
two  Governments,  and  to  avert  the  calamities  of  war,  would  voluntarily  evacuate  it. 
There  was  reason  at  one  time  to  believe  that  such  would  be  the  course  pursued  by 
the  Government  of  the  United  States,  and  under  that  impression  my  Government 
has  refrained  from  making  any  demand  for  the  surrender  of  the  fort. 

But  the  Confederate  States  can  no  longer  delay  assuming  actual  possession  of  a 
fortification  commanding  the  entrance  of  one  of  their  harbors,  and  necessary  to  its 
defence  and  security. 

I  am  ordered  by  the  Government  of  tho  Confederate  States  to  demand  the  evac- 
uation of  Fort  Sumter.  My  Aide.';,  Colonel  Chesnut  and  Captain  Lee,  ars  authorized 
to  make  such  demand  of  you.  All  proper  facilities  will  be  affurded  for  the  removal 
of  yourself  and  command,  together  with  company  arms  and  property,  and  all  pri- 
v:ite  property,  to  any  post  in  tho  United  States  which  you  may  elect.  The  fl:ig 
wliich  you  have  upheld  so  long  and  with  so  much  fortitude  under  the  most  trying 
circumstances,  may  be  .«aluted  by  you  on  taking  it  down. 

Colonel  Chesnut  and  Captain  Lee  will,  for  a  reasonable  time,  await  your  answer. 
1  am  sir,  very  respcctfullj'. 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed,)  G.  T.  Beaireoard, 

Brigadier-General  Commanding. 
Major  RonERT  Ander.son, 

Commanding  at  Fort  Sumter,  Charleston  Harbor,  S.  C. 


33 

[No.  7.] 
Gen.  Beauregard  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Charlf.stox,  April  11,  1861. 
To  L.  P.  Walker  : 

Demand  sent  at  two  o'clock.     Allowed  till  six  o'clock  to  answer. 

[Signed,]  G.  T.  Beauregard. 

[No.  8.] 
Majiir  Ainlersoii  to  Gen.  Beauregard. 

Headquarters,  Fout  Sumter,  S.  C, 

April  11th,  1861. 

General:  I  have  the  honor  to  •acknowled'^o  the  receipt  of  your  communication 

demanding  the  evacuation  of  this   fort;   and  to  say  in  reply  thereto,  that  it  is  a 

demand  with   which   I  regret  that  my  sense  of  honor,  and  of  my  obligations  to  my 

Government,  prevent  my  compliance. 

Thanking  you  for  the  fair,  manly  and  courteous  terms  proposed,  and  for  the  high 
compliment  paid  me, 

I  am,  General,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed,)  Robert  Anderson, 

Major  U.  S.  Army  Commanding. 
To  Brigadier-General  G.  T.  Beauregard, 

Commanding  Provisional  Army,  C.  S.  A. 

[No.  9.] 
The  Sccrctarif  of  War  to  Gen.  Beauregard. 

Montgomery,  April  11,  1861. 
Gen.  Beauregard,  Charleston  : 
Telegraph  reply  of  Anderson. 

[Signed,]  L.  P.  Walker. 

[No.  10.] 

Gen.  Beauregard  to  the  iSecrclary  of  War. 

Charleston,  April  11,  1861. 
To  L.  P.  Walker  : 

Major  Anderson  replied  :  "  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
communication,  demanding  the  evacuation  of  this  fort,  and  to  say  in  reply  thereto, 
that  it  is  a  demand  with  which  I  regret  that  my  sense  of  honor  and  of  my  obliga- 
tion to  my  Government  prevent  my  compliance."  He  adds  verbally :  "  I  will  await 
the  first  shot,  and  if  you  do  not  batter  us  to  pieces,  wo  will  be  starved  out  in  a  few 
days."     Answer. 

[Signed,]  G.  T.  Beauregard. 

[No.  11.] 

The  Secretary  of  War  to  Gen.  Beauregard. 

MoxTGOMERr,  April  11,  1861. 
To  Gen.  Beauregard,  Charleston  : 

We  do  not  desire  necdlesslj'  to  bombard  Fort  Sumter.  If  Major  Anderson  will 
state  the  time  at  which,  as  indicated  by  him,  he  will  evacuate,  and  agree  that  in  the 

3 


34 

meantime  he  will  not  use  Lis  guns  afjainst  us,  unless  ours  sluiuld  be  cmpluj-ed 
against  Fort  Sumlcr,  j-ou  arc  authorized  thus  to  avoid  the  effusion  of  blood.  If 
this,  or  its  equiviilent,  be  refused,  reduce  the  fort  as  your  judgment  decides  to  be  the 
most  practicable. 

[Signed,]  I,.  P,  Wai.kkr. 

[No.  12.] 
Orii.   lirixiirrijard  to  ^fnjor  Anderson. 

IIuADyuARTEns  Provisional  .\rmy,  C.  S.  A., 
Charleston,  April  11,  1861—11,  i>.  ji. 
Ma.ior:  In  consequence  of  the  verbal  observation  made  by  you  to  my  Aids, 
Messrs.  Chesnut  and  Lee,  in  relation  to  the  condition  of  your  supplies,  and  that 
you  would  in  a  few  days  be  starved  out  if  our  guns  did  not  batter  you  to  pieces — or 
words  to  that  effect — and  desiring  no  useless  effusion  of  blood,  I  communicated 
both  the  verbal  observation  and  your  written  answer  to  ray  communication  to  my 
Government. 

If  you  will  state  the  time  at  which  vuu  will  evacuate  Fort  Sumter,  and  agree 
that  in  the  meantime  you  will  not  use  ynur  guns  against  us,  unless  ours  shall  be 
employed  against  Fort  Sumter,  we  will  abstain  from  opening  fire  upon  you.  Col- 
onel Chesnut  and  Captain  Lee  are  authorized  by  me  to  enter  into  such  an  agreement 
with  you.  You  are,  therefore,  rc(iuosted  t<>  communicate  to  them  an  open  answer. 
I  remain,  very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed,)  0.  T.  Bkauregard, 

Brigadier-General  Commanding. 
Majnr  RoBKRT  Andkrson, 

Commanding  at  Fort  Sumter,  Charleston  Harbor,  S.  C. 


[No.  i;i.] 

^f'lJol•  Amlermm  to  (icii.  licinref/ard. 

IlEAi>yuARTi;ns,  Four  Si:mti;r,  S.  C, 
2.30  A.  M.,  April  12,  ISGl. 
General:  I   have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  second  commu- 
nication of  the  11th  instant,  by  Col.  Chesnut,  and  to  state,  in  reply,  that  corilially 
uniting  with  you  in  the  desire  to  avoid  the  useless  effusion  of  bloo<l,  I  will,  if  pro- 
vided with  the  proper  and  necessary  means  of  transportation,  evacuate  Fort  Sumter 
by  noon   on   the   15th  instant,  should  I  not  receive,  prior  to  that  time,  controlling 
instructions   from  my   Government,  or  additional   sup])lies  ;  and  that  I  will  not,  in 
the  meantime,  open   my  fire  upon  your  forces,  unless  compelled  to  do  so  by  some 
hostile  act  against  this  fort,   or  the  flag  of  ray  Govcrnraent,  by  the  forces  under 
your  command,  or   by  some  portion  of  them,  or  by  the   perpetration   of  some   act 
showing  a  hostile  intention  on  your  part  against  this  fort,  or  the  flag  it  bears. 
r  have  the  honor  to  be,  General, 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed,)  Houeut  Anderson, 

Major  U.  S.  A.  Coniiiianding. 
To  Brigadier-General  (J.  T.  Beai  RE(iAiU), 

Commanding  Provisional  Army,  C.  S.  A. 


85 


[No.   14.] 
(icn.  Iieaui->'f/ard  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Chaui.estok,  April  12,  1861. 
To  L.  P.  Walker  : 

He  would  not  consent.     I  will  write  to-day. 

[Signed,]  (t.  T.  BEAuuEGAnn. 

[No.  15.] 
Jnmeit  Chcuniit.  Jr.,  ami  Stephen  D.  Lee.  Aidfis-de-Cnmp,  to  Major  Anderson. 

FoHT  SiMTER,  S.  C,  April  12,  1861, 
3.20,  A.  M. 
Sir  :   By  authority  of  Brigmlier-Ceneral  Beauregard,  commanding  the  Provisional 
Forces  of  the  Confederate  States,  we  have  the  honor  to  notify  you  that  he  will  open 
the  fire  of  his  batteries  on  Fort  Sumter  in  one  hour  from  this  time. 
We  have  the  honor  to  be. 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servants, 
(Signed,)  Jamks  Chesmit,  Jr.. 

Aid-de-Camp. 
Stephen  D.  Lee, 
Captain  S.  C.  Army  and  Aid-de-Camp. 
Major  Robert  Anperson, 

United  States  Army,  commanding  Fort  Sumter. 

[No.  16.] 
(icn.  licditreijdrd  to  the  Secretari/  of    War. 

Charleston,  April  12,  1S61. 
To  L.  P.  Walker  : 

We  opened  fire  at  4.30  A.  m. 

[Signed.]  G.  T.  Beairegarti. 

Note. — Intercepted  despatches  disclose  the  fact  that  Mr.  Fox,  who  had  been 
allowed  to  visit  Major  Anderson,  on  the  pledge  that  his  purpose  was  pacific,  employed 
his  opportunity  to  devise  a  plan  fur  supplying  the  fort  by  force,  and  that  this  plan 
bad  been  adopted  by  the  Washington  Government,  and  was  in  progress  of  execution. 


